MAY 23 "MEN & THEIR STUBBORN AND SENSELESS WAYS"

     This is a sad story (in the O.T.) about two leaders who do not have their heads screwed on straight. It leads to the senseless death of many; and if that's not bad enough, the drama continues years after this horrible incident. Years later when Abner decides to come over to David's camp, Joab is incensed and plots to murder Abner, to revenge the death of his brother, who was killed by Abner, in self defense....to much drama! Take note, when there is to much drama amongst God's people, this is a clear sign of a lack of relationship with God. David is the only one who mourns the death of this innocent man.  He makes sure to let everyone know he had nothing to do with this vengeful killing of Abner, by Joab and his men.  David has to live a life by which he is surrounded by other Israelites, all Jews by birth but yet none, or very few of the men around him have a relationship with God.  They all know the sacraments, sacrifices and rituals that a Jew must live by, but they do not have a relationship with God, as David does. We walk and function in Christian circles, as David was surrounded by nothing but Israelites so are most of surrounded by Christians, but sometimes we too may find ourselves surrounded by others who have the sacraments down, but no relationship. We are amazed at the bitterness, unforgiveness and vengeful spirit that exists in the circles we walk. It can be discouraging to see men with leadership status act in such barbaric ways, but it's reality. The important lesson we can learn from David is he never got so discouraged that he lowered his standards to theirs and succumbed to their ungodly ways. We know that David does fall pretty low with Bathsheba years later, but after a course of a year repents and gets back on track. Joab never repents and continues on his course of revenge, bitterness and ungodliness dies an ugly death.  We can become so discouraged with Christians today that we actually turn away from the church and Christians all together, but is that really God's will? The closer we come to Jesus' second coming, the closer the church will resemble the world, the more heretics we will find in the church and the bible tells us that "the hearts of many will wax cold".   Yes, their are many apostates in the church, but the Church is still God's plan and means for the equipping of the Saints and the Evangelizing of the World and we must never allow ourselves to be discouraged by the the tares the God allows to grow within wheat, one day God will come back and he will separate the two, until then, hold on to true standards, keep your convictions and maintain, above all else, your connection to the True Vine.