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Showing posts from March 13, 2011

The Pain of Victory

The Pain of Victory By Napoleon BlackTEXT (1 Sam. 17:50) So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. NIV That's how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! Message So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. NLT COMMENTARYDavid’s troubles were just beginning. It was a decisive and fairly easy victory, but it was a victory which turned someone into a lifelong enemy. This victory over Goliath led David into a battle with Saul which ended with the tragic death of Saul. It was a fight that David resisted to the last, but Saul was relentless in his pursuit of David. He just would not give up. What triggered it? A song the sisters sung intended for Saul’s honour, but which he understood to have been in praise of David – “Saul has slain his thousands and David tens of thousan

Beware of Human Effort

Beware of Human Effort By Napoleon Black TEXT (Gal. 3:3) After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? NIV Only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Message After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? NLT COMMENTARY Sometimes, we look at the Galatian saints and are surprised that they could have fallen the way they did. The crux of the fall is found in this very verse. They fell into the old trap of self-actualization. They fell back into the trap of feeling that what was required was some real, good, old time, human effort to become what God required. There is that constant danger which challenges us, that we want to slip back into bad habits of trying to please God by our efforts, rath