hurry our midweek Bible study why don't
you take your Bibles and meet me today
in 2nd Samuel chapter 23 let's drop down
to verse 11 today and discuss the life
of Shama
praise God a wonderful short but very
informative story that will really help
us today let's open up in prayer
Heavenly Father we asked it as we study
this little glimpse into the life of
Shama that the same Holy Spirit that was
upon him a spirit of faith would also be
upon us to protect our fields the field
of our heart now father God we give you
praise in Jesus name and we all agree
and say Amen hallelujah praise the Lord
a little note on the side for all of our
friends in the UK this weekend I'll be
in London I'll be ministering Friday
night Saturday morning Saturday night
and Sunday morning so that information
is on our website Steven Brooks org
would love to see you in these upcoming
meetings graph a great time in the word
and in the Holy Spirit and also every
Thursday our pure gold television
program is now airing on is in the it's
supernatural
Network okay so if you want to see it
you can watch it every Thursday it comes
on three times it's all on the Eastern
Time okay so you can watch it at 4:30 in
the morning Eastern Time or 12:30
lunchtime right at noon and then also in
the evening at 8:30
okay so 4:30 in the morning 12:30 around
lunch and 8:30 at night pure gold is
airing praise the Lord forever amen now
let's jump today into the life of Shama
verse 11 it says that Shama was the son
of aji the hare right
the Philistines had gathered together
into a troop where there was a piece of
ground full of lentils so the
Philistines they like to travel in packs
a group of tough intimidating guys maybe
they pull up on their chopper bikes
they're hardly David's sons and they
these are tough guys maybe they're just
looking for a fight well
they felt that was their job to
impoverish the Israelites to make life
as just just as difficult as possible
and they were very very good at doing
their work
the Philistines had gathered together
into a troop when there was a piece of
ground full of lentils I like lentils I
don't really get excited about them
they're just a type of beam and I've had
lentil soup before maybe you have to
really doesn't taste that good unless
you put a lot of spice and flavor in
there to spice it up but outside of that
I know they're good for you but
sometimes people say certain things in
their life aren't that big of a deal
they do certain things that maybe that
are wrong and they say well it's just a
small thing you know it's no big deal
but really in the eyes of the Lord it is
and we have to be very careful that the
Philistines don't have access to our
plot of land and if they show up you
have to be ready like Shama to defend it
the Philistines had gathered together
into a troop where there was a piece of
ground full of lentils so the people
fled from the Philistines this is
something that you don't want to do you
don't want to compromise run away throw
in the towel give up and quit now I want
you to see your field of lentils what
some people may say it's not very
important it's just you know pastor
Stephen it's just a bunch of beans no
big deal well first of all it's your
plot of land
it's your beans and it's important to
you because from a New Testament
perspective this is an area of your
heart
this plot of land these beans your heart
your blessing you don't want the
Philistines to get in there you need to
be a person that guards the entrance of
your heart you need to guard what your
eyes look at what your ears hear and you
need to endeavor to serve and please the
Lord and all you do but watch this
especially in the
things even in the things sometimes that
Christians in their secret life
compromised so easily it's almost like
they just have given up and when they
see a Philistine they just say well you
know I've I've failed so many times I'll
just you know I'll just after all God
forgives me I'll just go do it again and
they don't understand the strength of
God's grace to resist sin and to drive
the Philistines out you know we're
actually told in Titus chapter 2 verse
11 it says for the grace of God that
brings salvation has appeared to all men
now this is what the grace of God will
do verse 12
teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts we should live soberly
righteously and godly in the present age
so what does the grace of God do it
teaches us teaches us to do what to deny
ungodliness and worldly lust and it
strengthens us so that we can live
soberly soberly means you're on the
alert you're sharp
okay you're not in some kind of like
spiritual stupor okay and righteously
and godly in the present age
praise the Lord so we don't want to use
grace as an excuse or as a scape
mechanism that we can say well because
of God's grace we can just compromise
we'll be okay no we have seen that the
grace of God actually empowers us to
live a godly life and say no to the
Philistines to the things that would be
wrong now the people fled from the
Philistines but he Shama stationed
himself in the middle of the field
well that would very quickly tell you
that this man has extreme military
training he knows what to do he knows
how to respond he knows the most
strategic position all of these gears
are turning now quickly in the mind of a
warrior he's gonna do all he can do and
then the Holy Spirit will come on him
and the Holy Spirit will come on his
natural and then do
supernatural because even with the best
training military training martial art
training you know what you maybe you can
handle yourself one on one or one
against two or one against three maybe
but you know you get twenty people
against you or forty people against you
this is not gonna work unless somehow
use you tap into the supernatural power
of God and that's what is going to take
place with him he's not a stranger by
the way to having the anointing of the
warrior king come upon him Jesus is the
Lord of Hosts Jehovah casaba Jehovah
sava so that means in the military
thinking of the Hebrew people that means
the warrior got the warrior king
so Shama strongly influenced by the
leadership of his commander David he and
these other guys doing phenomenal
exploits why they've been influenced by
the lifestyle of David and the faith on
David has touched them that same
anointing has touched them and they have
done extraordinary things and this is
one of the things that he was famous for
he stationed himself in the middle of
the field defended it and killed the
Philistines so the Lord brought about a
great victory and I believe that when
you win a victory yes it's a blessing
for your life because you've still got
your beans and you killed all the
Philistines but you know what it's good
for you but it also inspires others to
say you know what hey if you got off
cigarettes and you smoked for 20 years
and the holy spirit helped you to kick
the habit then I'm gonna stop I'm just
gonna stop right now that's the power of
a real valid genuine testimony of real
victory and when a person overcomes and
a person who has had the Philistines
just rush in and flooded in before but
when a person fights and says nope no
more I'm gonna I'm gonna stop this and
this ends today
you know that's inspirational for many
many people to also rise up and say you
know what I'm gonna start guarding
what's mine even if it's considered
small it's important to me and I think
this is where some Christians miss it
think well you know it's just a field of
lentils it's just a bunch of dumb beans
Pastor Steven it's no big deal
but it is a big deal and if you
compromise in what maybe you think are
little areas those little areas of
compromise where you're allowing I mean
where you're just running away and don't
even really put up a defense against the
Philistines and they're coming in you're
you're going to put yourself in a place
where you're never able to go into the
rich thick good blessings of God because
you've got you've got these other areas
of your life that you're not addressing
and it could be secret areas that maybe
only you and the Lord know about but if
if you're gonna act like it's you know
it's not there when it is there you're
never gonna be moved on by the Lord into
these greater parts you have to overcome
in these small areas this is very very
important because you know we've said
before that if you give the devil's an
inch he's gonna take a mile I need to go
further with that he wants more than an
inch and he wants more than a mile he
wants to absolutely completely destroy
you he is not content to just maybe trip
you up or to get a little access in and
in trouble you he really wants to take
you out completely and if you toy around
with things and leave doors opening your
life or just allow the enemy to come in
and in trample on the field of your
heart then eventually this is going to
blow up and this is going to be a
problem so you have to deal with these
things even if there's what you maybe
you think it's just a small area a
little plot of land a little area of
your heart it's just beans it's just a
little compromise you need to deal with
it because if you don't it can really it
could really get bad later on you know
sometimes people think it's it's small
so it's no big deal they do these little
things all the time I've seen Christians
Park take their car and park in a large
parking lot park right in the handicap
parking zone and they're not handicapped
they have no handicap permit they can
walk just perfectly they're totally in
health but there
just lazy and they they're just you know
they're just being disobedient and
they'll park right in that parking spot
and that you know it's wrong to do stuff
like that right now I'm thinking about a
certain church I won't say the country
but there was a certain church did this
was just recently a few weeks ago where
the church members you know we're coming
to church and many of them had parked
their cars in the parking lot and there
was a sudden rain that came well for
some strange reason it seemed like they
all wanted to rush into the church at
the same time and you so they wouldn't
get soaked with the heavy downpour but a
few people tripped and the other
Christians didn't want to get wet and
they kept on running and then others
kept on running because they didn't want
to get wet
and Christians got trampled to death
just because they wanted to get inside
and not get rained on and by the time it
was over there's dead people that came
to church to worship the Lord and
they're dead they got trampled on why
it's just you know people that are but
God's people you need to slow down
praise God deal with any issues and
think what well you know it may be
raining and I might not want to get wet
but hold on that sister so-and-so laying
on the ground who cares if we get wet
let's pick her up and you who is just
people sometimes they get so rush rush
rush that before you know it what was
maybe a little compromise has now become
like a major something something major
difficult came out of that so you know
you got to watch these little areas
don't sweep over things don't think well
everybody does it well first of all not
everybody's doing it Shawn was not doing
it you know when the Philistines show up
although everybody else is running away
why is he not running away well because
he's got a different spirit it's a
spirit that says you know what I'm not
afraid to engage the enemy I'm not
looking for a fight and I'm not looking
to pull out my sword and start you know
you know it's not like I like seeing
bloodshed
you know the Shawn was thinking but hey
if you're going to come up here and try
the take our our food supply and walk a
little
mylanta stink you can come in here
without a fight no you're you've run
into the wrong guy and the Philistines
did they ran into a commend Oh a man
that that was skilled and then the Holy
Spirit came on him he killed every
single one of those Philistines Wow
praise the Lord well my friends when the
enemy comes to you you might maybe just
be you know living your your life having
the normal everyday type thing and some
kind of temptation comes in and an enemy
says you know it's no big deal it's just
beans just you know you've yield it
before you've ran away before just let
us come in and do our thing just yield
to it you know and enjoy your little
temptation nobody's really going to know
and you know you could still go to
heaven God will still love you he'll
forgive you and and you know what
Christians if they if they don't fight
they just give in but before you know it
the enemies just start steam rolling in
but you've got to have to put up a stiff
arm and say no mr. devil those days are
over and if you've done it to me before
you're never going to do it to me again
and you pull out the sword of the Spirit
and now you're ready for warfare praise
God and you quote the Word of God and
the Holy Spirit he will fight with you
he will fight through you it's not like
it's just you against a whole troop it's
you with the Holy Spirit and greater is
He that's in you the Holy Spirit then he
that's in the world so it doesn't matter
if a thousand demons show up it doesn't
matter if this the wave of pressure this
this thing wave of temptation hits you
just stand against it by the way that's
normal for anybody that's living in a
flesh and blood body to feel urges or
temptations and the enemy he'll try to
work with you through your feelings he
tries to work with you through the the
realm of the five senses but you have to
resist and say devil no in the name of
Jesus and you know if it feels like you
have to pull your hair out did do I'm
not saying to pull your hair out but
just say no I don't care how bad it is
how how the stronger the cravings are
just say no in the name of the Lord I'm
talking to somebody right now hallelujah
these are real issues that God's people
face and you have to be like Shama and
you just have to say no I am NOT giving
in and
dirty Philistines are not coming into my
heart and they're not going to defile me
any more
the Philistines have always represented
the defilement of the flesh and Satan
likes to do things where you know he
would make you dirty or be unclean but
you want to walk right with the Lord
be very careful my friends what you
allow your eyes to look at what you
allow your ears to hear but you allow
yourself to get involved in walk and
walk after the Lord serve the Lord pray
and ask God to lead you away from
temptation and to deliver you from the
enemy and he will God will protect you
and God will show you the snares the
plans the plots the the schemes of the
enemy and you could go a different
direction and avoid it completely
hallelujah but you also need to be like
Shama so that if the enemy would press
that you defend and you don't just yield
and say well you know this is just a
little secret weakness I have I guess
I'll just give in to it again no don't
do that that will lead to a great area
of further compromise and then
eventually remember the devil doesn't
just want a little of you he wants to
totally take over and dominate and make
your life just as miserable as possible
so lock him out keep him out and if he
shows up defend just like Shama did pull
the sword out and say oh no no I'm not
running anywhere I'm not running
anywhere I'm standing right here and I'm
fighting with the sword of the Spirit
and the Holy Spirit will give you
anointed scriptures and he'll it'll help
you to stand he'll help you to stand now
from a natural perspective there's also
a time when you can run I think I think
all ministers preachers listen to me
just for a moment all ministers need to
know how to run and you may be thinking
well pastor Stephen you used to run
track when you were at high school in
college and I did but that's not the
kind of running I'm talking about I'm
talking about what the Apostle Paul said
in first Corinthians chapter 6 where he
said flee run away from sexual
immorality so you need a good pair of
legs so that if you're faced with that
temptation you don't stand there you
don't try the witness to the person you
don't try to you know just keep talking
no you just
you just take off and run jog if you
have to just take off running who who
cares what people think but you have to
learn to protect your plot of land your
beans or lentils you've got to protect
your heart and don't put yourself into
difficult compromising situations or
positions the Bible says to avoid the
very appearance of evil we're not only
not to do evil but we're also to avoid
even the appearance of evil stay away
from it
praise God serve the Lord thank you Lord
Jesus and be very very careful with
these small areas people would say hey
it's it's not that big of a deal yes it
is
I'm here to tell you today it's actually
a very big deal and if you don't deal
with these issues what would maybe be
considered little issues beans and
things like that the lentils the the
small plot of land if you don't deal
with things like that then God he cannot
he could not graduate you on to these
greater levels of anointing and glory
and power and the mighty things that he
wants to do through you
praise God so you have to be you have to
be like Shama no running away stand and
fight
use the Word of God and you'll see that
as you do that as you offer a stiff arm
resistance with the sword of the Spirit
you'll see the enemy will eventually
just melt back off and leave and you
think wow I want I didn't have to give
in I didn't have to compromise I I
didn't have to lie I didn't have to
cheat I didn't have to you know do
something wrong it's so you just hold
your ground
hold your ground and serve the Lord
thank you Lord Jesus praise God right
now the Holy Spirit's doing a scan and
so any area in your life where there
would be previous compromised make up
your mind right now that the next time
that the Philistines show up in a troop
next time they show up even if you're by
yourself God is with you and then you're
going to fight okay you're not going to
just give in you're not going to say
well you know the Lord he understands my
weaknesses he understands I'm just a
person of the flesh no don't do that
stuff stay strong and say I'm standing
I'm holding my ground I'm gonna be like
Shama and I'm gonna win a victory
hallelujah glory to God I believe really
today that so many people in the world
they're they in somebody's they're
actually pulling for the church but they
want the church to not only preach it
and proclaim it they want the church to
actually live it maybe even not all of
them but at least some of them okay so
there needed to be those I believe I'm
talking to you those in the church who
talk it and who actually live it not
just publicly but also in the secret
life the private life and these are
people that allow the Holy Spirit to
come and work and when the Holy Spirit
brings something up you know hey you
need to address this issue you have to
be willing to talk about that and make
it right right then you have to you have
to be willing to make it right and then
make it airtight and then lock the enemy
out so we can't have access you have to
protect the anointing you have to guard
the glory you have to be very very
diligent about these areas have the
spirit of Shama hallelujah Heavenly
Father we thank you we just asked the
spirit the Holy Spirit that was on Shama
would come upon your people that spirit
to defend what is there their honor
their dignity thank you Father the
anointing that their ethics their
morality that there would be a defense
now father we just give you praise we
give you praise father God in the name
of Jesus in the name of Jesus thank you
father for that anointing coming a great
strength to protect everything that you
blessed us with and to guard it thank
you Father we give you praise in the
name of Jesus guard your heart guard
your heart
thank you Father in Jesus name Amen
let's take Holy Communion today please
along with me grab some unleavened bread
some grape juice
Heavenly Father we bless it we
consecrate it in the name of Jesus whoo
hallelujah we think you follow this is
now the flesh and the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ
father as we receive the body of Jesus
we just thank you for strength the fight
like Shama
to fight with the word to use our
spiritual weapons and to resist the
enemy and to resist evil we give you
praise father God and we thank you we
thank you Father that greater is he
whose in us than he who's in the world
we thank you father for victory and
Dominion in every area of our life in
Jesus then we pray amen let's receive
the body of Jesus hallelujah glory to
God glory to the Lord
thank you Lord Jesus you know it says in
Ephesians chapter five verses two and
three in the NIV it says that there not
even be a hint of sexual immorality
among you talking about the believers
Paul said don't let there even be a hint
of it and he goes on also to say don't
be involved in coarse jesting crude
joking don't do things like that listen
if you do stuff like that you will muddy
your Christian witness and the
unbelievers they they may like you but
they won't respect you so there is a
place of wisdom where they they could
respect you and honor you but don't
don't in in the name of compromise you
know just try to get along and laugh at
what they laugh at and look at what they
look at and do all that stuff don't do
that you need to be walking upright
before the Lord be like Shama and hold
to the biblical standard God's going to
strengthen you amen father we thank you
for the blood of Jesus we thank you for
it's in forgiving sin and cleansing
power and we thank you Father God that
you're able to keep us clean in a very
dirty and corrupt world where father we
live in a world that's just saturated
with sin and sickness and disease and
suffering it's all around us but father
we thank you that we're in this world
but we're not of it and while we're in
it we can be like a fish that swims in
the ocean
and he's surrounded by salt water but
yet it's not inside of him so father we
thinking that we're in this world but
we're not we're not contaminated by the
filth of the world we thank you Father
for the blood of Jesus and it's
protective barrier over our lives we
receive it now in Jesus name let's drink
praise God but he Shama stationed
himself in the middle of the field
defended it and killed the Philistine so
the Lord brought about a great victory I
see nothing but victory for you
I see no more defeat in previous areas
where maybe you just said well you know
who cares I've I failed so many times
what's another time you'll say no no not
anymore
hallelujah I serve the Lord God who is
the god of humma praise got an ex
actually one of the compound names of
God Jehovah Shama which means the Lord
God sees the Lord God is there he'll be
right there with you he will strengthen
you and you will not fight alone and the
enemy will be defeated god bless you as
you go today and as you protect your
field of beans or lentils as you guard
your heart be blessed bye bye