WEBVTT 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:07.360 Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Hole. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.759 I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.839 Today, embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.120 Welcome to the Born for War podcast. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:29.519 So today I want to pick up where we left off in 2 Samuel. 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:36.159 We were in 2 Samuel 5, and it was too much stuff. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:41.520 There's just, man, the Word of God is amazing what you find in God's Word. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:50.719 And me as a pastor and a teacher, I'm blown away with how I can prepare and prepare and prepare, study and be ready. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:53.759 And then I get up here and new stuff comes to me. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:55.439 I just get new stuff. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:59.520 And so we didn't even, it was supposed to be one sermon, so now it's two sermons. 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:09.840 So turn to 2 Samuel chapter 5, and I'm not going to go over all that I covered last week, so I'm just going to give a quick overview. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:19.040 But 2 Samuel 5 is where David has been on the run for 15 years from Saul. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.280 Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:24.879 David is anointed king over Judah. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:32.640 Remember, Judah was his tribe, but the rest of Israel still aligned itself with the house of Saul. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:57.280 Then the house of Saul falls in battle seven and a half years later, and there's now a united kingdom with David, and his first act is to attack Jerusalem, take it back, and set up his capital, his sort of headquarters at Mount Zion or the mountain of David or Jerusalem. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:58.319 So he's there now. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:10.319 Well, the Philistines then hear that David is on the move, and so they begin to march up from what we would call a present-day Gaza strip area along. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:11.840 They were called the Sea People. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.680 The Philistines were called the Sea People. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:14.639 We don't know exactly. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:16.479 We think they might have come from Crete. 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:36.719 But the sea people come up, and if you remember, some 15 years before, David had taken out Goliath, one of the sons of Anak, who was probably nine feet nine inches tall, a descendant of the Nephilim in Genesis 6, 1 through 4, at the Valley of Elah. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:41.039 So that's a that's a northeasterly direction. 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:46.879 And instead of going to the valley of Elah, they're not going to go there because they were defeated there. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:52.479 They're going to actually move a little bit more northwesterly toward Jerusalem to a different valley. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:54.719 And that's where we pick up the story. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.560 So look at verse 17. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:07.120 Now, when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David, king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:12.960 David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.319 Now, I told you last week, and let's just say it again. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.719 If you didn't underline it last week, underline it this week, anointed David. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:25.840 So David is anointed by God, and you've heard me say this many times before. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:33.199 Old Testament concealed, New Testament revealed. 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:46.159 And what I mean by that is that the stories of the Old Testament conceal a truth that becomes clear to us in the New Testament through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and through the church. 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.400 And so what we see here is the Philistines represent demonic activity. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.919 Philistines are never good in the Old Testament. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.719 They represent demonic activity, satanic activity. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:59.840 They come up to take out the anointed one. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:09.039 And as we know in the Old Testament, it was prophets, priests, and kings that were anointed by God with oil, and men and women, you're anointed by God now. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:20.079 Every one of you in this room are anointed as a king and a priest, and Philistines from the enemy want to take you out. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:31.199 And so at that point, where you got saved, you gave your heart to Christ, you are anointed by the Holy Spirit as a king and a priest in the heavenly realm. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:37.680 Revelation 1.6, God has made us all kings and priests to his God and Father. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:39.759 Revelation 5.10. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:46.079 And God has made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:48.160 1 John 2.27. 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:53.279 But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:57.759 See, sometimes you don't feel like it, sometimes you don't act like it. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:06.160 Sometimes you're not where God wants you to be, and that's part of the battle of us growing and becoming more and more sanctified in Christ. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:10.000 But the reality is you are a king and you are a priest. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:14.560 And so the first great commission is not Matthew 28, 18 through 20. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.720 The first great commission is Genesis 1, 26 through 29. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:23.600 That you've been given dominion, that you are imagers. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:25.439 I love dogs. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:29.519 I train dogs, but dogs are not created in the image of God. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.639 Some of you in this room love horses, and I think horses are cool. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:34.000 I had a horse as a kid. 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.959 I like riding horses, but they're not created in the image of God. 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.120 Very few of you like cats. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.360 And I love cats. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:44.560 I think cats are cool. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:45.759 We have a cool cat. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:53.360 We have a barn cat that's got little, I call her needles, because she comes and pumps on me and just pierces me with those. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.000 But that's how she stayed alive for eight years. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.360 Who knows what she does at night in the fights she's been in. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:01.600 That's a bad cat. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:03.759 All right. 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:08.800 But only we as human beings are created in the image of God. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:12.160 Male and female, he created us in the image of God. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:14.160 You are a king and a priest. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:17.040 And in Genesis 1, it says you've been given domain. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.879 You've been given a dominion. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.959 You're to have dominion to rule over the fish of the sea. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:24.879 We're to rule over the earth. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:29.680 We've been given this domain as kings and priests. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:33.759 So men and women, God's given you a home. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:35.920 Some cases, he's given you a marriage. 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.720 In some cases, he's given you children and grandchildren. 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.439 In some cases, he's giving you a job. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.000 You're to have dominion there. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:45.839 You're to bring Christ there. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.759 You're to, as a humble servant of the living God, you come and you take dominion for him. 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:53.120 So you're a king and a priest. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.000 Now that's good news. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:01.360 The bad news is the enemy knows that some of you don't know that. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:03.120 And so they're coming. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:08.720 You've got a target on your back, just like they're coming after David, they're coming after you. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:09.839 Verse 18. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:17.040 The Philistines also went and they deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.079 The valley of giants. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:23.199 The giants are there. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:24.639 You've got giants. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:26.560 We have giants. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:33.040 All of us battle with giants in our life, giants of shame, giants of failure. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:41.120 I think for most women, when Brene Brown talks about shame, she's probably one of the best experts on shame. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.879 She says, for a woman, it's not being enough. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.319 For men, it's failure and not being strong enough. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.439 So for a woman, it's always not enough. 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:55.600 You're not enough for something. 00:07:55.759 --> 00:08:00.560 And for men, it's oftentimes a fear of failure because you got a few failures in your life. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.519 If you've lived life a while, you've had some failures. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:11.120 You've had some times where you were defeated in something you felt like you should have won. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:16.240 And for the women in this room, you've had areas where you thought you had enough, but you didn't have enough. 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:21.120 And so the enemy comes and just reminds you again and again, you're not enough. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:22.639 You're not enough. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:23.920 You're a failure. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:25.279 You're a loser. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:27.839 So these are giants in our life. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:33.039 And so the enemy always wants to coax us into the valley of giants. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.159 And what we tend to do is we run. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:43.759 We run from our fears, we run from our concerns, and David decides to face the giants. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:51.039 In church, face your giants with breakthrough courage. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:53.840 Face the giants that are there. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:55.759 Don't waste a giant. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.720 Don't waste a giant, don't waste a failure. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:01.360 You're gonna fail, you're gonna have giants. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.440 Don't waste it, learn from it. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:10.159 Face it, go in there and battle and watch God show up in our lives. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:25.679 And so, what I want to do today is I want to take the remaining time and let's look at what and how we experience breakthrough in our life looking at David in this valley of Rephaim, the valley of the giants. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:28.159 So let's look at the first thing he does in verse 19. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:29.679 Look at verse 19. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:35.200 David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.360 Will you deliver them into my hand? 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:43.840 And the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.639 The first thing David does is he inquires of the Lord. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.919 He doesn't assume what God wants him to do. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.320 He doesn't use natural reasoning. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.639 And by the way, natural reasoning is great. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:55.600 It's important. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.960 I don't think you have to inquire of the Lord about everything. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:04.559 I don't think you have to inquire of the Lord what color socks to put on or whether you should get dressed today. 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:19.200 But there are things, there are times, men and women, where there's big issues, there's valleys before you where demonic powers are there, and God would require of us, inquire of me. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:22.240 Ask me what to do. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:28.879 Ask me what my will is about this particular matter. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:37.679 So keep your finger in 2 Samuel 5 and then turn to the middle of your Bible to Psalm 27. 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:40.159 Look with me at Psalm 27. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:51.039 And it could be that David pinned these words right here, going toward, moving toward the valley of Rephaim. 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:52.639 He's become king. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.039 He was a poet, musician. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:59.440 He might have written these words, but they certainly fit our context. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:01.840 The Lord is my light and my salvation. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:03.360 Whom shall I fear? 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.440 The Lord is the strength of my life. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.519 Of whom shall I be afraid? 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:17.200 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled, they fell. 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:23.120 Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:30.480 Though war may rise up against me, this in I will be confident. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:43.039 One thing I've desired of the Lord that I will seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:53.120 So David goes to the stronghold, the cave of Abdulum, and he inquires of the Lord, God, what are you calling me to do? 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:57.759 Will the Philistines be delivered into my hands? 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.759 And then look at verse 14. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.720 Look at verse 14 of Psalm 27. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:07.360 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:09.440 Wait, I say, on the Lord. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.399 So there's something about waiting on God. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:17.200 There's something about not moving until it's time to move. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:32.720 Not moving until your Capital L leader, Jesus Christ, who's the ultimate of breakthrough courage at Calvary, where he broke through our sin, he broke through our shame. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:44.000 He broke through our inabilities and our shackled bondages and strongholds of the enemy, and he set us free to be his kings and priests. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:50.879 He's looking for men and women who will inquire of him, that will call out, that will cry out to him. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:55.360 So first thing David does, he inquires of the Lord. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:56.559 Verse 20. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:04.879 So David went to Baal Parazim and defeated them there. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:11.039 And he said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breakthrough of water. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:14.480 Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:19.200 Baal Perazim, the God of breakthrough. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:28.399 David's obedience in facing the giants brought a breakthrough like a dam breaking. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:40.399 The picture here is like a dam breaking by the pressure of like a white water river or a lake just breaking through, flooding the valley with the grace of God. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.480 How many would like to have that in your life? 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:50.159 That God would come, you would face your giants, whatever they are, and then let God fight for you. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.080 Let God move in a mighty way, like a breakthrough of water. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:02.960 Now I've been in whitewater streams fly fishing before, where I got myself in a ton of trouble. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:14.720 I remember being on the Arkansas River years ago, and I had not fished this particular, I haven't fished the Arkansas but a few times, so I didn't know how fast it was to the degree that I was used to some other rivers. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:21.039 But I got myself in the middle of that river and I knew this was really, really dumb. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.320 I remember saying to myself, this is very dumb, Steve. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:31.519 And I'm sitting there and I can't go either way because the rocks are so slippery and the water so fast. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.879 Well, I'm here today, so obviously I figured out a way to get out of it. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:39.200 But I didn't want to go ripping down and breaking bones going down the river. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:44.559 But that kind of pressure is this idea that David has of the God of breakthrough. 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:48.000 And that's actually literally what Bel Perazim means. 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:53.679 That there's a that he's a ruler of, he's the master of breakthrough. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.399 How many need some breakthroughs in your life this year? 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:57.279 Raise your hand. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:14:59.919 Yeah, I mean, it's true for all of us. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:10.639 And you know, I think that there's sometimes it's like right here, sometimes it's out there, but God is a master of breakthrough. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:12.960 He's a master of breakthrough. 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:19.039 And that's why our theme, our theme in 2025, is the God of breakthrough. 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:26.159 The the breakthrough courage that David needed is the breakthrough courage that you already have. 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.960 Men and women, you have it. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:31.759 You have everything you need. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:37.440 You're anointed as a king and a priest and an overcomer. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:43.039 I mean, I could have kept reading the priest in King passage of Revelation 1. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:45.519 Revelation 2. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:53.360 And then if you if you recall in uh Revelation 2 and 3, seven times that we're overcomers. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:55.600 You are an overcomer. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:05.360 You have everything you need through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to overcome these giants in one's life. 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:08.240 So I share with this at the prayer time. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:14.799 We had the fasting and prayer time to begin the year, December 31st to January 1st, but some of you were not there. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.840 But God gave me John 20, 25. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:23.039 God gave me John 20, 25 for the new year. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:25.360 And I was in a time of seeking God. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:32.559 I said, God, I know you've given me breakthrough courage, but is there a passage for John 20, 25 that you want to speak to me from? 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:37.120 And he gave me John 20, 25, 20, colon, 25, 20, 25. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:42.399 And I love this because the disciples are discovering that Jesus has risen from the dead. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:46.399 And in John 20, 25, it says, We have seen the Lord. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.120 We have seen the Lord. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:54.000 And men and women, you need to see the Lord this year in some of these areas. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.480 There are things you've not seen the Lord. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.679 I mean, you know it intellectually, but experientially. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.799 It hasn't been there yet. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:04.960 But God wants you to see God show up in some fear areas. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:07.440 God would show up in your family. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:09.359 God would show up in your job. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:11.519 God would show up in your finances. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:17.839 You would see the Lord in your children and your grandchildren. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.000 Maybe there's a physical ailment. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:21.279 You need a healing. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:23.119 You would see the Lord there. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.119 I believe that's what God wants to do. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.160 I think that's a God of breakthrough. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:30.480 Showing himself faithful. 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:35.519 Inquire of the Lord that we would begin to believe him for that. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:37.759 Look at verse 21. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:39.119 Verse 21. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:43.119 And they left their images there. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:48.640 So here's what the Philistines would do: they would bring their gods with them to fight. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.759 They bring their little gods with them to fight. 00:17:52.079 --> 00:18:02.880 And evidently, from our passage, God showed up in such an amazing and quick way that the Philistines literally dropped their gods and booked it. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.440 They just took off out of the valley. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:07.519 But that's not the point. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:10.000 The point is what's next. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.559 David and his men carried them away. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:19.039 David and his men, men and women, listen, you've got to have blood-stained allies. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.960 You have to fight the battle with others. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:25.279 Don't fight alone. 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:36.640 It's still amazing to me, even at the road, where we talk about blood-stained allies, ad nauseum, that many of you still don't have close friends. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:38.400 You don't have some buddies. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:43.200 You don't have some men and women in your life that will have your back. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:45.119 You've got to have others, folks. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:49.759 The number one reason for casualties among men, I'm not going to speak about women as much. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:56.720 I'm not an expert on women, but I'm a pretty, I've got a pretty good handle on men, and that is that we're isolated. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:00.079 We're living our lives in isolation. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:05.039 And God wants us to have some men in our life that have our back. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:08.640 And that's why we started wholehearted men on Tuesday morning. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:16.559 420 guys every Tuesday morning are in here at a table with some guys praying together. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.480 I only speak for 15 minutes. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:23.440 The rest of the 45 minutes is all the guys at the table praying together, ministering to each other. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:24.240 And it's awesome. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.119 It's so fun. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:40.319 My table's over here somewhere, and a lot of times I'll stand up and I'll just look out and thank God because I see every, I'll see all these guys with their arms out on each other, praying for each other, anointing each other, calling out to God for each other, and they're seeing breakthrough. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:41.759 Not everybody. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.279 I mean, some stuff's really, really tough in people's lives. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.799 It's going to take years to see a breakthrough, but they're there. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:53.119 They're showing up at 5:30 in the morning because they care. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:56.160 Most of you in this room are there. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:57.680 I just love that about you. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:58.319 You care. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.640 You women are coming to wholehearted women. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.759 That's why we set up tables so you can have those women in your life. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:06.720 That's why we need to be in community groups because we need each other. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:10.240 David, look at, look back at verse 17. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:14.799 It says that the very last word in verse 17 is stronghold. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.319 That's the cave of Abdullah, most commentators believe. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.279 So he went back to 15 years ago. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:32.319 He went back to where 400 men gathered around him when he's on the run from Saul, and they gave him hope and they gave him strength, and they became the mighty men of David. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:34.480 They became the mighty men of David. 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:41.200 So he was not going to go fight the Philistines without the mighty men with him. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.039 And we know from scripture it's upwards of 600 now. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:49.039 And so they go in and it says here, David and his men. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:50.480 It wasn't just David. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:54.559 David, the only time David fought alone was the first time. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:58.559 The only time David fought alone was the first time because nobody would follow him. 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:00.559 And he went out and he took on Goliath. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:05.440 But that became a rallying cry for other men to come. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:08.160 Listen, everybody, you need the church. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:14.240 I know I'm speaking to the choir and all of you that are listening online, but we need the church. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.000 We need each other in our lives. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:22.000 And so David and his men, so he inquires of the Lord. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:24.319 He has bloodstained allies in his life. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:25.599 Look at verse 22. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.400 Then the Philistines went up once again. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:30.640 They're not giving up, man. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.240 Demons do not give up. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:39.359 The Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:41.680 So it's almost like they did a 360. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.960 They turned around and then they came back. 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:50.240 The battle with giants and shame and the enemy is ongoing. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:54.240 For the rest of our life, there will always be another battle. 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:57.119 There will always be another fight that we have to go through. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:59.759 So these Philistines. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.559 It looks to it seems as though they were somehow defeated. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:11.839 And even at that point, David renames the valley, Baal Perazim, the valley of the God or the ruler or the master of breakthrough. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.359 They go, We're not. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:15.759 It's almost like they left their gods. 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:20.960 They ran and they went, you know, we should get him while he thinks he's victorious. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:26.240 When he thinks he's got us beat, let's go back and let's attack him from his blind side. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.920 Let's go back around. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.839 So it's ongoing, right? 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:33.359 Church, everybody go like this, if you understand what I'm saying. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:41.119 So I mean it's it's those times in our life where we we have to fight the same old battles again. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:43.599 You say, well, man, I don't know why I'm still fighting this. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.039 Well, welcome to life. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:47.680 You know, and so there's a there are battles. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.680 But look what David does. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:51.839 Look what David does next. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:53.200 It's it's quite amazing. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:57.039 The Philistines went up once again, deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.240 Verse 23. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:01.440 Therefore, David inquires of the Lord again. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:12.559 He doesn't assume, this is important, he doesn't assume that the way he fought and got victory the last time is the way he's supposed to fight this time. 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:23.759 Because remember, if he went back 15 years to 17 years back in the past, he took on Goliath one-on-one in the field of battle. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:24.799 He doesn't do that. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:25.839 He inquires of the Lord. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:33.039 Now he's bringing probably 600 men, at least 600 men, who probably gather at the cave of Addalam, the stronghold. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:36.079 They gather together, they think it through. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:41.680 David probably parts from them, inquires of the Lord, says, God, what do you want me to do? 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:47.920 God gives him a fresh new plan, different than anything he's done before, defeats the Philistines. 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:54.640 They turn around, do a 360, come all the way back to the valley, and they want to engage David again. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:24:02.000 David inquires of the Lord, and he said, This is God speaking, you shall not go up. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:06.160 Totally different instructions from God. 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:07.920 You shall not go up. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:16.240 Circle around behind them and come upon them in front of the mulberry tree. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:19.519 So David is told to do something he's never done before. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:30.160 Church, every battle that has a unique strategy of the enemy, has a unique strategy of God to bring breakthrough. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:31.839 Now listen to the rest. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.759 This is when it gets really crazy. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:35.279 Verse 24. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:47.599 And it shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:55.279 Underline, advance quickly, for then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:04.319 Verse 25, and David did so as the Lord commanded him, and he drove back the Philistines from Giba as far as Gezer. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:09.200 We have to cooperate and partner with the Holy Spirit. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:12.319 We have to continually cooperate and partner with the Holy Spirit. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.799 Because what the Holy Spirit said last week may not be what the Holy Spirit's saying this week. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:22.240 What the Holy Spirit said two years ago may not be what the Holy Spirit's leading you to do now. 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.480 So we have to inquire of the Lord. 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:33.359 And that's why PB and J, Prayer, Bible, and Journal is so important that we're regularly spending time in God's word so that God can give us fresh revelation. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:40.079 What God said to the road last year is not what God's saying to the road this year. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:45.920 What God's saying to the Lord, to the road this year is not what He's gonna say in 2026. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:54.079 I mean, even President Trump has figured out I'm not gonna do it the way I did it before. 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:59.440 There's a lot of enemies in my camp, and I'm not inviting them in again. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:00.960 And same with our lives. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:01.839 We do it all the time. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:11.039 We we think we can trust people, we think we we've got these people around us or these situations around us, because before that's what worked. 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:16.000 But God oftentimes has a different strategy and a different way of working. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:23.039 Keep inquiring of the Lord, church, keep going to Him, seeking His face, that He might speak to us. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:24.799 Now I love the King James Version. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:34.799 The King James Version says this when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:36.400 Doesn't that sound like King James? 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:44.480 When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:48.480 That's why I don't use the King James Version. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:54.400 Thou shalt bestir thyself means to stir yourself up. 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:00.400 You stir yourself up. 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:06.160 God wants you to stir yourself up for the battle. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:11.599 And the translation here in the New King James Version is advance quickly. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.119 Go to work. 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:20.559 Because there are angels in the heavenly realm fighting for you. 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:22.240 Listen. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:24.799 They're moving ahead of you. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:27.599 They're gonna fight these battles for you. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:32.799 But I'm convinced that they were there, but David needed to ask for them. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:34.400 David needed to inquire of the Lord. 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:36.079 You know what David's thinking of? 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:57.119 I think David is considering the fact that even though he took that stone and he slung that sling, and that stone buried itself in the forehead of Goliath, something in him knew I'm good with a sling, but I'm not that good. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:01.920 And he knew that there were actually forces, spiritual forces at work. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:03.839 And he always relied on that. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:05.279 He always trusted God for that. 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:11.119 It reminds me of the story in 2 Chronicles of the Syrians surrounding Elisha. 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:18.240 And he prays for his frightened servant and he says, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:28.480 And Elisha prayed, and the scripture said, The Lord, he said, Lord, open his eyes, and then he saw a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:33.599 So God has chariots of fire on your behalf. 00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:36.400 God has his angels at work. 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:38.799 And that's my prayer for the inauguration. 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:40.799 That's my prayer for the road. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:45.920 That the Lord would bring forth his chariots of fire on our behalf. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:49.839 And then he drove them back 15 miles. 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:57.200 So Gaba, Gaba, as far as Ghazar or Gezer, is 15 miles. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:28:59.039 He was not gonna let them come back. 00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:00.640 He drove them back. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:02.799 Drive them back, church. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:05.039 Drive them back this year. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.279 Have breakthrough courage. 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:15.279 Thank you for listening to the Foreign for War podcast. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:18.880 We hope today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:24.880 To connect with Pastor Steve's sermons, books, and blog, visit Steve Holtonline.org. 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:25.920 God bless.