God WILL Be Glorified

By Gobel Brockman


     There is a passage of Scripture that has been on my mind constantly for a good while now. It is found in Isaiah 42:8, and it says this:

     "I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images."

     There is a simple yet profound truth in that verse that we all need to understand: GOD WILL SHARE HIS GLORY WITH NO ONE. No pride will long stand in His presence. There is another passage in the Bible that describes this plainly. In Acts 12 the Bible says that King Herod began to raise his hand against the church, even to the extent of having James, one of the 12 disciples, killed with the sword. He then proceeded to have Simon Peter arrested. (Peter was soon miraculously delivered from Herod's hand.) Later in that chapter we read how Herod's reign - and his life - came to an end. Acts 12:20-24 says this:

      "Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him in unity, and having made Blastus, the king’s personal servant, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave a public speech to them. The mob shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God spread and increased." (Emphasis mine.)

     Herod was lifted up in pride, and because he would not humble himself and give God the glory, God humbled him. There is a lesson in this that all of humanity needs to understand, and it is that every one of us face this choice:

     We will humble ourselves before God, or we will eventually be humbled by God.

     I have mentioned before that we live in a culture where we vote on everything - from who will be in our governments to who our next musical star will be. I believe we sometimes need to be reminded that when Jesus came on the scene He did NOT declare that "the democracy of God is at hand" to the world, He said that "the KINGDOM of God was at hand." Kings don't get voted on; they conquer their enemies and then rule in their own authority. Jesus Christ came and FOREVER conquered the kingdom of darkness, and is both now and forever more King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We read this in Philippians 2:5-11:

     "Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

     We see in this passage of Scripture that EVERY knee will bow to Jesus, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. We also see that this will be to the glory of God the Father. So it is this simple: all glory belongs to God, and all creation will bow before Him. The only question that each person must answer is this: 

     When will you bow before Him?


     

The Power of Anointed Sound

By Gobel Brockman

     “Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him. So the servants of Saul said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God troubles you. Let our lord now tell your servants, who are before you, that they might seek out a man experienced in playing the lyre. And it will come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he will play with his hand, and you will be well.” Saul said to his servants, “Find me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.” Then one from the servants answered, and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is experienced in playing music, a mighty man of valor, a man of battle, and skillful in words, even a man of fine appearance. And the Lord is with him.” Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, a bottle of wine, and a young goat and he sent them with his son David to Saul. David came to Saul, and stood before him. And Saul loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” It happened that when the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David would take the lyre in his hand and play. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” – I Samuel 16:14-23 (MEV)

     Saul was chosen by God to be Israel’s first king. He began his rule in humility, but sadly soon fell into pride and rebellion. His sin soon became so great that the Lord told the prophet Samuel in I Samuel 15:11:

     “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.”

     Saul now finds himself in a dangerous place. His pride and rebellion had led him to what our opening Scripture describes: “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him.” I find what his servants did in response to this to be interesting: they asked Saul to allow them to seek for a musician, telling him that when the evil spirit troubled him, the musician could play and “you will be well.”  Saul consented to this, and as a result David was brought into the presence of the king. I don’t want to read over that statement so quickly that we miss a powerful truth that it contains:

     Music brought David into the presence of the king.

     It wasn’t David’s strength as a warrior that brought him into Saul’s presence – his battle with Goliath hadn’t occurred yet. It wasn’t his ability as a shepherd that ushered him into the king’s court – even though his abilities were so good that he could tell Saul, “Your servant has killed both lion and bear.” (I Samuel 17:36) What brought him into the presence of the king was his ability to play the lyre (harp). As we read this story we can begin to see just how powerful the sound of anointed music can be. Do we realize just how much power was in that sound? Music caused the evil spirit to leave Saul! There is an anointing that takes place in music that transcends mere notes. I believe we too often fail to recognize the spiritual value and power that is in the anointed sound of music – both good and bad. When our songs come into agreement with the sound of Heaven, we will see the power of God manifested in our midst! Conversely, if we are releasing sounds of evil, defeat, and hopelessness into our homes and into our lives it only stands to reason that we will see other powers involved in our lives. (Just ask Saul.) There is a powerful message in this story that I pray we all understand and release in our lives:

     DEMONIC POWERS CANNOT STAND IN THE ANOINTING OF GOD’S PRESENCE!

     We read that as the evil spirit terrified Saul, David began to play the lyre, and in that anointing the evil spirit had to leave. 

     Let’s take another look at what we’ve covered in this chapter:

What initially brought David into the presence of the king? MUSIC.

What caused the evil spirit to leave Saul? MUSIC.

     Do you see a common denominator? MUSIC!

     The anointed sound in music that is inspired by the Holy Spirit contains a power that I’m afraid we’ve never fully understood or accessed. My prayer is that we never again underestimate the power of God that can be released through that anointed sound! In closing, I also pray that we all remember this all-too important point: the sounds we release in our homes and lives MATTER.

     Let us choose wisely which sounds we listen to.

Are You Ready to Worship the Lord Like Abraham?

By Gobel Brockman

     "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

 
     This story was more than Abraham just being asked to sacrifice his son: he was being asked to give back the very promise that God had given him. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. In Genesis 17:4-6 God told Abraham this:

     “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 

     Now, God was asking Abraham to give that promise back. Abraham now faces the ultimate test of his faith: would he really believe God and have it counted to him as righteousness? I love Abraham's response: "So Abraham rose early in the morning…." That means there was no hesitation or second thoughts in Abraham's mind. God had issued the demand, and he was going to obey. He went on to tell his servants something even more interesting: "The lad and I will go yonder and worship..." Abraham knew full well what he had to do when they reached their destination: he was going to bind up his son Isaac, lay him on an altar, take a knife to the promise of God, and offer him as a burnt sacrifice. Knowing all of this, he told his servants that they were going to worship. This brings me to a crucial point that we need to understand about worship: when Abraham went with Isaac up that mountain, he didn’t go with a guitar strapped to his shoulder so that they could sing worship songs around the sacrificial fire. He didn't have the latest praise CD downloaded on an MP3 player with headphones on his ear. He went up that mountain with a knife. Let me say it this way:

     American Christianity sometimes seems to judge worship by which Christian bands are going to be playing at the next “Worship Conference” or which big-name speakers will be speaking at the next “Glory Gathering.” Abraham judged worship by whether or not his knife would get the job done.

     I also want you to notice how Abraham finished his sentence: "The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." (Emphasis mine.) Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, and yet he said "we" will come back. How could he say that? Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us the answer:

     "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."

     Abraham had faith that if necessary, God could and would raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham passed the test and God provided a ram for the sacrifice. After Abraham proved that he was willing to obey God’s command, the angel of the Lord stopped him from slaying Isaac. We read in Genesis 22:13:

     “Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”

         The promise of God was still alive and well! The promises of God are also alive and well for us today. What we are called to do, however, is to follow Abraham's example and trust God with the promises that He has given us. When Abraham proved that he truly trusted God, God provided a ram for the sacrifice. As a result, Abraham named the place “Jehovah-Jirah” which means “God will provide.” While that is an incredible ending to this part of Abraham’s story, there is a vital point that must be made:

     Abraham did not see the ram caught in the thicket until God saw Isaac bound on the altar. In those times when we may be tempted to ask God, “Where are Your promises?” we may be failing to realize that He just might be asking us, “Where is your Isaac?

    We know how Abraham responded. What will our response be? 

Child of God, Activate What's Already Yours

By Gobel Brockman


     There's a story in the Bible that most of you reading this will be familiar with. (If you're not, it's found in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel chapter 17.) The Philistine army was prepared for war against Israel. Their greatest warrior was a giant named Goliath. He told the army of Israel to choose a man to fight against him, and the winner of that fight would determine who would reign. The Bible says that this went on for many days, and the Israelites were terrified at the thought of facing Goliath. But David - a young, ruddy shepherd boy - came to visit his brothers who were part of the army, and he was infuriated that this giant would dare defy the God of Israel. With a sling, a stone, and a solid faith that God was with him, David killed Goliath and took off his head - all while the army of Israel was "losing their heads" with fear.

     I see a lot of that going on today.

     I know that these are difficult times. I know the Bible tells us to not be "ignorant of the devil's devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11) We are also told to "be sober, be vigilant, because our adversary the devil roams about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) My point is simply that there is a substantial difference between being aware and being fearful. I want to be aware, but I refuse to be fearful. How can I say that? Because God has given me the Holy Spirit, who is NOT a Spirit of fear, but IS a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Simply put, regardless of what's going on the natural and political world, I refuse to be afraid. Despite what may be going on in your life right now, rest in the knowledge that God is truly in control of every situation - and if you are His child, He's going to take care of you. You are in the palm of His hand, and you're safe there. No Facebook conspiracy post can change that. No election or politician will ever cause God to abdicate His throne. If you're born-again, then whether you live or die, you are the Lord's, and nothing can take you away from Him.

     I've been reading and studying about the life and ministry of the late English evangelist Smith Wigglesworth, and I've been profoundly impacted by his story. The stories of the miraculous that took place as a result of his faith have both encouraged and challenged me. One quote of his, however, really struck me with both conviction and hope. In talking about faith and power in the believer's life, he made this statement: "It is a sin to ask God to give you power if you've been baptized in the Holy Ghost. At that moment God has given you all the power you need." After reading that statement I thought of all the times I had been guilty of that very thing. I have been filled with the Holy Ghost, and with that infilling I have received from God everything that I need to live a victorious life. I don't need to ask God for something I do not have; I simply need to activate by faith what He has already given me. I was convicted by my lack of faith, while at the same time I was filled with hope upon realizing that God has given me His Spirit and His faith to live in all the power I need! I encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus Christ and to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and let your faith arise to believe for the miraculous!

     So don't lose your head - live in the power of God and watch Him deliver the head of the Goliath in your life to you instead.