We conquer by holding the Word of Jesus' faithfulness and victory by His blood. We conquer by letting Jesus do the conquering. We just love it. That's how we conquer. We love the Gospel.

Now when Simon (the "magician") saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand...that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand. (1Sam 17:46-47)

The early church father, Irenaeus, wrote the often-quoted phrase, "The glory of God is man fully alive." This smacks of pop-spirituality--best you, best life, right now. But there's truth in it.

"The single most characteristic thing about David is his relationship to God. ...The evidence for David's pervasive, saturated awareness of God is in his profusion of metaphor: rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold, savior. David is immersed in God. Every visibility reveals an invisibility. David names God by metaphor."

In Luke 4:16-21 Jesus announces that the hope of a just, healthy, community is fulfilled in Him. Hooray! Justice!

Guess what happens next? They carry Jesus on their shoulders and celebrate? Nope. They try to lynch Him.

David versus Goliath looks like Genesis 3. There is the "snake" defying God. There is King "Adam," charged with "keeping" God's people but failing. But this is new: a Spirit-filled champion who will answer the snake so God's glory might fill the earth. And he will sacrifice himself to see it done. It reminds us of Genesis 3 but also pictures the future fulfillment of the Genesis 3:15-promise.

In 2 Samuel 13-18, David is broken; he's a non-character: he stops being an actor and becomes a prop. But it's still David’s story; only now it is told through the story of others. And there is only one character in these chapters who interacts with David in a good way.

For YOU have died, and YOUR LIFE is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then YOU also WILL APPEAR with him in glory. (Col 3:3-4)

The season of David's life described in 2 Samuel 2-5 raises some questions.  

Words of inspiration from... Piglet.  Yes, Piglet-and-Pooh, Piglet.

The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. (2 Sam 23:2)
Now we have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Cor 2:12)

What does the truth say about you?  Here's a hint: it's a "good testimony."  The truth is not like "everyone."  The Gospel-Truth does not wait around assessing your works.  Rather, it is a plain statement about Jesus' works and what they mean for you.

The Big Idea of 1 Samuel 13-15 is that we need a King who listens to and obeys the Voice of the Lord, with faith: like Prince Jonathan and unlike King Saul.

Every passage of Scripture teaches a Big Truth.  There are other things it teaches, to be sure, but the passage has A Point.  The point of the passage is the Truth the Holy Spirit inspired it to communicate.  It reveals.  Without that revelation, we would be blind. 

What is that work of ministry?  Here I'd like to tie together a few strands of Scripture, Theology, and life.

To know a fact about a person is different than knowing a person.  To know from a book is different than knowing from experience.  To know how is different than to know how and why.  To be able to teach is different than to know enough to ace the test. 

James and John (sons of..."thunder"?), Peter (the "rock" to his face, the "mouth" behind his back), Thomas (the one who doubted became the only of the twelve to leave the Empire), Judas (betrayer, but no one suspected a thing?), Matthew (tax collector, but Judas kept the treasurer's box?), Simon (the revolutionary), etc. 

Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together..."

"Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant..."  -Psalm 86:16