Text: Judges 4:1-24

1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.   2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor;  the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.   3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD:  for he had nine hundred chariots of iron;  and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.   5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim:  and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.   6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?  7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude;  and I will deliver him into thine hand.   8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go:  but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.   9 And she said, I will surely go with thee:  notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour;  for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.   And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh;  and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet:  and Deborah went up with him.   11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.   12 And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.   13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.   14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up;  for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand:  is not the LORD gone out before thee?  So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.   15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak;  so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.   16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles:  and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword;  and there was not a man left. 17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite:  for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.   18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me;  fear not.   And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.   19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink;  for I am thirsty.   And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.   20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here?  that thou shalt say, No.   21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground:  for he was fast asleep and weary.   So he died.   22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.   And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.   23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.   24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.  

Friday, 31^st May 2024 Midnight Encounter

THE MILK THAT OVERCAME DARKNESS 

Text: Judges 4:1-24

Memory verse: Judges 4:19 And he said unto her, give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

“I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. Why did she give him milk? And what could milk possibly mean for us today during the intense warfare we face? Milk in the scripture represents God’s Word for the spiritually immature. Peter described milk as a drink for the spiritually young: 1 Peter 2:1-3 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, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

So, why did Jael give Sisera milk? It speaks of sharing the truth in a relatable way for those who are spiritually immature. We need to convey deep messages with simplicity. The Gospel need not be overcomplicated, but we must simply and profoundly speak the truth so that those who are willing to let go of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander will be freed of the meditations of the principality of Sisera and be able to drink the pure Gospel and be filled to contentment like a newborn baby.

By contrast, for those who refuse to adhere to the truth, the milk of the Word of God, the Word of truth will cause them to get sleepy, much like a newborn, and they will be lulled into their own deceit. Which is exactly what we see happen to Sisera. He was lulled into a state of “milk drunkenness,” blinded to perceive God’s next move. The principality of Sisera, they were lulled into a state of delusion by their own pride, believing that by their own power they could reinstate this death decree. Instead, the simple, inherent truth that God values the pre-born child in the womb was the very milk that blinded them and continues to.

John 10:10 says; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” Could it be any clearer that God’s word prevailed over this lie. His declaration rippled out to the Nations as he declared, “choose life, that thou and thy seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19.

How do we minister the milk of the Word today? By speaking the constant, simple, profound, biblical truths of the Word of God to a lost and waning generation. By sharing “Jesus loves you and died for you” loudly and clearly from every conceivable vantage point that we have. By declaring His value for every human being. By speaking the unadulterated, guileless, and un-deceitful Word of truth. By refusing to mix this pure milk with the meditations of our day. The pure milk of the Word will draw in those whose hearts are truly thirsty for the truth, and it will set them free.

Paul speaks of the milk of the Word in Hebrews 5:12-14; In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. You will know the spiritually mature, as opposed to the spiritually immature, because they are able to distinguish good from evil. If a leader in the Body of Christ cannot rightly discern what is good and what is true, you have good standing to ask whether that person is leading you and others into the whole truth and in righteousness. There should be serious red flags if someone you follow is unable to distinguish and call out what is wrong and what is evil, because it reveals that they have not graduated from the elementary milk of the Gospel. They are failing to constantly use and train themselves in the solid food of the Word. If they are still drinking baby milk, why are you giving them authority to lead you spiritually? Either they have blatantly ignored the pure milk for the sake of crowd pleasing or they have turned aside from the truth. Be very wary of any leader, whether a worship leader, a biblical teacher, a pastor, or even a social media influencer, who refuses to acknowledge and call out the elementary truths of God’s Word, who cannot clearly discern simple right from wrong according to the scripture. When Jael offered Sisera milk, it was both a mockery of his inability to discern the truth and a trap to lull him into a state of fatigue. Do not be afraid of speaking the truth of the Word, for it will blind and therefore expose those who have chosen to be influenced by the principality of Sisera. It will awaken others to the reality of the truth, which will lead them into repentance and freedom.

CGDS Hymn 10; SS&S 788:

ARE YOU SHINING FOR JESUS, MY BROTHER

1. Are you shining for Jesus, my brother,
Shining so clear and bright,
That the souls that are perishing round you
May be guided to him by your light?

Refrain

Shining for Jesus are you shining to-day?
Shining for Jesus, shining all the way;
Shining for Jesus, in this world of care;
Shining for Jesus, shining everywhere.

2. Are you shining for Jesus, my brother,
Shining in deed and in word?
Is your life by its purity showing
The likeness of Jesus your Lord?

3. Are you shining for Jesus, my brother,
Shining for truth and for right,
Where bold unbelief and its minions
Are posing as angels of light?

4. Oh, shine out for Jesus, my brother,
Shine where He needs you the most;
And shine where the darkness hangs deepest
O’er the path of the straying and lost.

5. Shine only and always for Jesus:
Then, when your toiling is o’er,
In mansions of glory eternal,
You shall shine as the stars evermore.

 Prayers: 

1.  Lord God, light me up with Your words to expel every form of darkness in my life in 2024 in Jesus’s name. Amen.

2.  Lord God Almighty, send Your word to be my guide in all things this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

3.  Lord God Almighty, I decree and declare that Your words will be my focus concerning al things this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

4.  Lord God Almighty, I decree and declare that my heart is open to the entrance of Your words always this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

5.  Oh God, make 2024 my year of divine accomplishment by Your words in Jesus’ name. Amen.

6.  Lord God Almighty, as I concentrate on Your word this year 2024 build me up spiritually in Jesus’ name. Amen.

7.  Lord God Almighty, give me my inheritance by the word of Your grace in Jesus’ name. Amen.

8.  Lord God Almighty, put Your words in my mouth and let Your praise be in my lips concerning all things this year in Jesus’ name. Amen.

9.  Lord God Almighty, comfort me always with Your unfailing word this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

10.  Lord God Almighty, let Your words to me concerning all things never return void unto You, this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

11.  Oh God, make 2024 a year of feasting in Your word for me and my household in Jesus’ name. Amen.

12.  Lord God Almighty, put Your words in my mouth and in my heart to keep faith alive in me always this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

13.  Lord God Almighty, help me to do according to all that is written of me to make my ways prosperous this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

14.  Lord God Almighty, let Your word be to my advantage always in this year 2024 in Jesus’ name. Amen.

  Declarations  

Lod, keep my faith alive for you all through this year, put Your words in my mouth and in my heart. Your word in Isaiah 55:11 says, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Let every of your word and promises to me be activated this year, in Jesus’ name, none shall be left unfulfilled in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, Lord deliver my inheritance to me this year as I feast on your word in Jesus’ name.  Amen. Put Your words in my mouth and let Your praise be in my lips concerning all things, comfort me always with Your unfailing word this year in Jesus’ name. Amen.