Face Forward

Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. Then a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!" - 1 Samuel 23:26-27

Is it just me or does it seem like the western Church spends more time fighting itself than battling God's true enemy?

Toward the end of his earthy life, King Saul pursued David day and night. At the same time that Saul was engaged with this pursuit, the Philistines were continuously attacking Israel. Saul was threatened by David's popularity and feared for his crown, which led him to be obsessed to the point of ineffective distraction concerning his true mission of protecting his people.

I wonder if we are we any different? Do we fear losing our flock, our funds, or our influence? Are we so obsessed with the "losing" that we can no longer find a path to gain? If we continue to focus on maintaining the fortress, will we soon find it empty?

We know the enemy and we need to be sure that it is not us. For the cause of Christ to advance, we need to find the common ground (indisputable biblical truth, the Gospel) and begin to fight the deceit and error of the enemy's destructive philosophy.

It seems that if we do not all begin to face forward, we will certainly continue to fall back.

One may know how to gain a victory, and know not how to use it. - Pedro Calderon de la Barca