D R. K E N N E T H W. J O N E S, P R A C T I C A L L I V I N G M I N I S T RY

Transcription

1 THE P S OF SELF CARE D E A L W I T H T H E A M A L E K I T E S I N Y O U R L I F E ( P R O C E S S O F D E L I V E R A N C E ) P A R T I I D R. K E N N E T H W. J O N E S, P R A C T I C A L L I V I N G M I N I S T RY 1

2 INTRODUCTION: THE P S OF SELF CARE Prayer: Man is the being that prays (nepesh); Genesis 2:7 Praise provides strength and victory to sustain and win (Psalms 8:2) People (God made us relational which is where our strength comes from) Presence (Where you spend your time is where you find your life) Process (It s truly how you go about it) Power (Connection, Association, Authority) Purpose (People without purpose lose strength, restraint, and focus) Perspire (Exertion of Ministry) Pruning and Purging Strengthening our faith and requiring commitment Participation (Activities, Associations, Actions, and Alignment) Priorities (God, Others Self Prepares you for Eternal Life) Pursue Perfection (completeness or wholeness) (Hebrews 13:21; Matt 5:48) Patience (Endurance, Temperance) (1 st Tim 6:1; Hebrews 10:36) Peace (keeping your mind and hearts free from worry) (Philippians 4:7) 2

3 DEFINE DELIVERANCE To draw to one's self, to rescue, to deliver; to set free The purpose of deliverance is for God to rescue His people unto Himself to a place of protection, safety, and well being Psalms 34:17: When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. To deliver out of the hands of..., to escape." This meaning illustrates God's rescue of His people from the dominion of Satan and the world system. Colossians 1:13 - [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Deliverance is a process of Self Care Recovery, Restoration, Repair, Removal of curses, sin, and sickness 2 Timothy 4:18 - And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 3

4 DELIVERANCE FROM: Sin (Bondage and Influence) Addictions Trials and Testings From People and Situations Sickness and Disease Emotional & Spiritual Oppression Deliverance is Experienced by: Faith in & Submission to the Power of God Miraculous Power of God (may not require your faith, but God s intent) Decision (Repentance, Renouncing, Receiving, and Removing oneself from ungodly environment) Process (sustainable deliverance through obedience & trust in God) Troubles (Even those Self-Imposed) Generational Curses Confusion & Fear Spiritual Attacks 4

5 WHO WERE THE AMALEKITES Genesis 36:12 -Timna was a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau's wife Adah. Deuteronomy 25:17 - "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, They became the hereditary enemy of Israel Sought every opportunity to destroy Israel Amalek - The father of the Amalekites, afterwards bitter enemies to the Jews, and whom God commanded to be entirely exterminated, Deuteronomy 25:17, Deuteronomy 25:19. The Amalekites continued to harass and plunder the Israelites in successive generations that spanned hundreds of years. 5

6 HEBREW PERSPECTIVE In Jewish tradition, Amalek represents sin, the city of the world. Represents pure evil, and those who have given themselves over to the dark side of impurity In the Jewish teaching, Amalek represents spiritual blindness acting arrogantly in the world To go out and fight Amalek which is a call to ongoing spiritual warfare. We are not to be passive towards evil (Psalms 1) nor try to ignore We must call evil by its name and exercise spiritual authority over it Realize that our weapons are not carnal and have the power to destroy spiritual strongholds We are protected by God s armor and weapons of light (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:10-12) 6

7 AMALEKITES ALSO REPRESENT Lusts of the Flesh Left undone, will hinder and destroy you spiritually The race of Esau and Amalek were the representatives of the spirit of the flesh and the world. This was the reason that God pronounced the decree of their extermination. The name of Agag is next significant. It is from the root Hak, which literally means ruler, and represents the spirit of self-will, self-assertion and independence in the human heart. Spiritual Strongholds Keep you from experiencing sustainable peace, joy, love, and power Associations that are not good for the believer. Our association with the world and impact of the Spirit of Balaam Consequences of an Imbalanced Spiritual Walk, carnality, and disobedience Controlling Fear keeping you from entering into the blessings and promises of God Worldly and satanic forces seeking to rule or destroy you 1 John 3:8 - He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 7

8 HISTORY OF AMALEKITES Descendants of Esau Attacked Israel in Desert In the Promised Land Book of Judges Amalek was a grandson of Esau; thus his descendants would be related to the Edomites: For their bitter and implacable hatred of Israel, Amalek was absolutely cursed by God The Amalekites allied themselves with various other enemies of Israel, including the Canaanites. Numbers 14:40-45 They often raided the Israelites' land after they had planted crops, leaving them with nothing (Jdg 6:2-5) Saul was ordered to destroy them David attacked the Amalekites Hezekiah destroys the rest Haman Appears in Esther Saul is ordered to destroy the Amalekites, but he didn t obey God (1 st Sam 15:2,3): The Amalekites had burned Ziklag and took the women and children (1 Sam 40) Hezekiah killed over 100,000 men. Recovered the good land that they occupied He was a descendant of that Agag, king of the Amalekites, spared by Saul, but destroyed by Samuel Esther 3:1 Even after God told Saul to destroy the Amalekites, they would continue to attack Israel for the next 600 years because Saul did not deal with them as God had commanded 8

9 WHY WOULD GOD WANT THE AMALEKITES DESTROYED? 1 st Samuel 15:1-3: Go out and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have. God knows the future. God knew what the results would be if Israel did not completely eradicate the Amalekites. We also must remember that God looks at things from an eternal perspective and that His ways are higher than our ways. God did not order the extermination of these people to be cruel, but to prevent even greater evil from occurring in the future. John 5:14 - Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. When God delivers you, He expects you to avoid the sin and/or area of disobedience that was connected with your infirmity 9

10 PURPOSE OF THIS LESSON To review each interaction and conflict Israel has with the Amalekites and discover the biblical principles that God is revealing to us Remember that the Amalekites are a type and shadow of what we are dealing with in the flesh or experiencing through spiritual conflict and oppression. i.e. The tabernacle of Moses represented a type and shadow of Jesus as our high priest (Hebrews 8:1,2) These instances will provide for us wisdom and knowledge in order that we may experience complete & sustainable deliverance & live victoriously in Christ 10

11 PART II IMAGES Saul and Samuel Moses and Joshua fighting the Amalekites The Amalekites raiding Ziklag and capturing women and children during David s reign 11

12 ATTACKING ISRAEL IN THE DESERT: HAVING A JUST BALANCE IN OUR LIVES Deuteronomy 25:13-19 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. 14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. 15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God. 17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. 12

13 SYNOPSIS OF THE STORY As Israel left, they were instructed to have a sufficient amount of goods and resources for their journey Egypt represents a type of Deliverance That is why the expression going back to Egypt means a type of backsliding event. Because many of them disobeyed, they struggled in the desert, lacking behind the formation. Then the Amalekites attacked As they attacked, they attacked from the rear and those who were lagging behind were killed in the desert. God s purpose was to grant His people safety and rest, but their disobedience left them vulnerable to the enemy s attack How are you managing your life? Is there proper balance in your spiritual walk? Are you lagging behind in your spiritual walk as the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy you? (John 10:10 Scales represent balance Dishonest scales has been a common method to gain an advantage... to unfairly tip the scales in one sides favor to achieve one s desires or goal. Shortcuts in your spiritual walk will not help you but hurt you in the long run 13

14 BALANCING YOUR LIFE Proverbs 16:10,1l: (Amplified Version) Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales are the Lord s; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles]. God hates a false balance Proverbs 11:1 prefers that we exercise just weights and balance in our lives (Leviticus 19:36) A balanced lifestyle is identified through our Desires and Decisions. More importantly, are you trusting in the Spirit of God to regulate that for you which will bring you peace? Proverbs 3: 5,6: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Philippians 4:6,7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 14

15 MEASURING OUR LIVES Sometimes in dealing with balance, we are weighing our lifestyle against God s principles "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1Pe. 2:1-10). Daily Lifestyle Love for God Hebrews 12:1 says to lay aside the weight and sin, so not all weights are sins, but things that hinder you from running i.e. An ungirded mindset (1 st Peter 1:13) Unchecked carnality and worldly desires To achieve balance, we must get rid of worldly hopes and fears, obligations and friendships, and anything else that would slow us down in our race Desire for God Care of Family Discipleship Servanthood The loins of your mind girded. It is a metaphor, to signify they must live in such a manner as to be always prepared for heaven, as persons used to gird their garments about them, when about to walk or run, or to undertake any labour. (Witham) Mammon Fleshly Desires Worldly Status & Acceptance 15

16 ONE MORE THOUGHT Stop Trying to Cheat the Scale! Many times we try to cheat due to our carnality and our desire for worldly things without accountability Learn to Trust, Delight, & Commit your ways unto the Lord and you will find Rest (Psalms 37: 3-7) Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. The key is obedience Isaiah 1:19 - If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 16

17 AVOIDING SPIRITUAL ATTACKS Spiritual attacks are inevitable: We are in a spiritual war and we must be prepared (Ephesians 6:10-12; 2 Corinthians 10:4,5) The Amalekites like Satan, didn t play fair We must keep ourselves properly weighted, and free from the entanglements of this world if we are to be able to deal with Amalekites of our lives 2 Timothy 2:4 - No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. (amplified) The results of a spiritually balanced lifestyle is to allow God to bring us to a place of rest, peace, and victory 17

18 FEAR OF THE AMALEKITES Numbers 13:26-33 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. 18

19 ENTERING INTO GOD S BLESSING Amalek was considered one of the giants of the Old Testament The Amalekites allied themselves with various other enemies of Israel, including the Canaanites. Numbers 14:40-45 God told Israel to take the land, but they allowed fear and unbelief to prevent them from going in. Therefore, an eleven day journey took 40 years to accomplish They angered God, because they were so easily ready to return to Egypt, to the place they were delivered from They rebelled against Moses and was willing to go back to bondage rather than step forward in faith It was not what they saw in the Enemy, but more of what they saw in themselves And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. How do you see yourself in the midst of your circumstances today? How you see yourself is how your enemy will see you (Consider David and Goliath) 19

20 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU HEAR Take Heed to What You Hear? Mark 4:24: Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given--and you will receive even more. The Blessing is in the Hearing as well as Receiving What are you listening to these days? Who are you listening to? Romans 10:17 - Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news the Good News about Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:7 - for we walk by faith, not by sight For we walk - To walk, in the Scriptures often denotes to live, to act, to conduct in a certain way To walk by faith means to make faith part of every daily activity. 20

21 WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM ENTERING IN? If you are more willing to stay in your sin, your fear(s), your addiction, your anger & bitterness, then you will never enter into all that God has for you Fear and Unbelief will hinder you; Faith in God will protect and secure you. God is not in the fear 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. They say the opposite of fear is doubt; More accurately, the opposite of faith is certainty. If you knew for sure, then you wouldn t doubt Double-mindedness will not allow you to receive anything from God and hinder you from moving forward. James 1:6-8: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 21

22 WHOSE REPORT DO YOU BELIEVE? Numbers 14: 9,10: Do not rebel against the Lord, and don t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don t be afraid of them! 10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. When people are not in faith, they stone those who are trying to encourage them. People today are more willing to hear the other ten We are more conditioned to bad reports than good ones Just check out today s news Whose report do you believe? One will keep you at the border of your blessings, never entering in while one will empower you to go in and possess the land! 22

23 BEWARE TEMPTING THE LORD Numbers 14: 22-24: Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. These ten times - Ten is the number which imports completeness. The sense is that the measure of their provocation was now full: the day of grace was at last over. Caleb had another spirit and that spirit was exemplified in his loyalty and trust in God. Therefore, he entered into the Promised Land victoriously 23

24 DEALING WITH THE AMALEKITES: SIN IN THE CAMP Joshua 7:1-6 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 24

25 THE STORY OF ACHAN God told Joshua as they conquered not to keep themselves away from the accursed thing (Joshua 6:17) and blessed them as they fought major battles Joshua 6:18 - And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. Unfortunately, after a major battle, Achan hid some of the gold and jewelry which angered the Lord. Joshua was unaware of Achan s action Joshua and his men went forth in battle a small city,ai, and they were defeated severely Joshua sought the Lord who revealed to him that sin was in the camp (Joshua 7:10,11) Joshua Confronted Achan and he confessed Confrontation and Repentance is important Upon finding that the hidden objects were in Achan s tent, Joshua brought out him and his family and killed him Sin had hindered Israel from being victorious as they were separated from God s power 25

26 SIN MUST BE CONFRONTED Sometimes the troubles or trials we experience may be due to something that is hidden and needs to Searched out, confronted, and repented of Joshua was unaware of the sin There are generational sins, sins of omission that may keep us from experiencing God s blessing which is why we have to Search it out! Joshua did not want to do this, but as a leader he had responsibility to ensure the safety of his people as parents ensure the safety of their homes You wonder why you find yourself under spiritual attack at times and cannot understand why. It could be because of the sins of the father, or secret sins Achan s sins impacted not only his house, but the whole Jewish nation They were defeated because of his disobedience 26

27 THOUGHTS TO CARRY OVER We must be willing and obedience to be blessed of the Lord Am I struggling today spiritually because of fear, unbelief, double-mindedness, and hidden sins? Who am I listening to? Who is speaking into my life? Are they for my good? God I don t want to tempt you. 27

28 PRACTICAL LIVING MINISTRY Practical Living Ministry exists to assist individuals, groups, and organizations to operate to their full God-given ability by sharing life changing principles for spiritual growth and development. If this message touched you, please let me hear from you. If you would like to encourage us financially to keep sharing these kind of messages, please go to our donation section on our website at If you would like to contact Dr. Jones for a speaking engagement at your church or event concerning biblical leadership, mentoring, and Christian culture. Please contact Pastor Kenneth Jones at kenjones@practicallivingministry.org 28