"When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son..." There were at least four major areas of preparation for the coming of Jesus - religious, cultural, political, & personal. God had a perfect plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus before the foundations of the earth. There were appointed and exact times for the fulfillment of His plan. He did all this so that we could be adopted as His children and become heirs to the riches of Jesus!

Ish-bosheth, King Saul's son, is murdered and his head taken to King David, but instead of being rewarded, the murderers are put to death for their evil.

A mature Christian & Church has love for God, His Church, AND His world. Do we have, do we operate in all three of these calls? In our flesh we cannot, because selfishness will win. Only God can grow a love for all three in us. Let's grow up, not just out!

The House of David grew steadily stronger while the House of Saul grew steadily weaker, just as the Lord had spoken. Abner eventually submitted to God's choice and defected to the House of David in Judah. Where is our allegience? In the House of God or the house of "self"? Like Abner, let's stop fighting against the House of God! If you really want what God wants, Just Do It!!! 

The testing of Jesus in the wilderness...

Satan tempted Jesus' intellect, will, & imagination, but Jesus responded with the Truth, the Word of God. The same tempter came to Him on the cross at Calvary. Our salvation was totally dependent on Jesus' response to temptation. Like Jesus, our response to temptation is not determined in the moment of temptation, but by our world view, our prior convictions. The Truth is that life is sacred because it is given by a Holy God.

After King Saul's death, David sought the Lord and went up to live in the city of Hebron, where the men of Judah annointed him King over Judah. However, Abner made Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, king over Israel. Civil war broke out and many lives were lost. Just because somehthing is of the Lord, doesn't mean it will be easy. What are you pursuing and why? Don't let the ends justify the means. Let's live righteously before the Lord, without compromise.

Paul continues to explain the purpose of the Law and its place in the life of the believer. It was to be our tutor to point the way to Jesus, but never to be the way itself. The Law kills us so we can be resurrected in Jesus!

According to God's Word, the chapter of King Saul came to a close, while a season of opportunity for Israel began with David. The Philistines hung King Saul's body on the city wall. The enemy's agenda is always to make a fool of us and celebrate death. However, David did not celebrate King Saul's death, but chose to love his enemy by mourning for him and honoring him and Jonathan with a song. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus!

We reflect on and celebrate Jesus' resurrection and its impact on all of our lives, beginning with a very special man named Joseph of Arimathea. How are we to be like him? He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!!!