August 16 - 1 Samuel 7,8; Romans 6; Jeremiah 44; Psalms 20,21

Our reading today takes us through a passage of scripture that changed my life. You see, I wanted a mentor. Someone who would lead and guide me in the “things of God”. In essence what I was saying was “God give me a king”…and He did. I became involved in ministry that was part of the “divine authority, shepherding movement”. And I had my king. God allowed me to have my “fill” and then delivered me from that corrupt “ministry”. Praise God for the faithful prayers of the saints! I pray you search your heart today and ask our Lord the following question. Am I running to man for answers or to the God of the universe? For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king.He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots."He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots."He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers."He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants."He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants."He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work."He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants."Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us,that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD’S hearing.The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." 1 Samuel 8; 10-22 NASBMBear

"Likewise rekon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. - Romans 6:11-13"reckon= same as 'count'also yourselves= yourselves alsothrough= inmortal= subject to deathyield= presentinstruments= weapons Gr. hoplon John 18:3, 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:4Here are some insights into this passage from John Calvin's Commentary:"Let not sin then, ... v12" - He now begins with exhortation, which naturally arises from the doctrine which he had delivered respecting our fellowship with Christ. Though sin dwells in us, it is inconsistent that it should be so vigorous as to exercise its reigning power; for the power of sanctification ought to be superior to it, so that our life may testify that we are really the members of Christ.*I have already reminded you that the word body is not to be taken for flesh, and skin, and bones, but, so to speak, for the whole of what man is."Nor present your members, ... v13" - When once sin has obtained dominion in our soul, all our faculties are continually applied to its service. He therefore describes here the reign of sin by what follows it, that he might more clearly show what must be done by us, if we would shake off its yoke. But he borrows a similitude from the military office, when he calls our members weapons or arms (arma); as though he said, "As the soldier has ever his arms ready, that he may use them whenever he is ordered by his general, and he never uses them but at his commandl so Christians ought to regard all their faculties to be the weapons of the spiritual warfare: if then they employ any of their members in the indulgence of depravity, they are in the service of sin, But they have made the oath of soldiers to God and to Christ, and by this they are help bound: it hence behoves them to be far away from any intercourse with the camps of sin."