The Samuel Church – Episode 2 > Our journey towards Samuel began with Samson. We talked about how Samson faced the idol god, Dagon, a sea god, a god of the deep. Where leviathan and hydra type creatures dwell. Samuel was still facing this same god that Samson did, and we are facing today! Surely it is plain to see the many headed, many tentacled creature infesting our government today. It has not been destroyed, but it has been exposed.

As we continue teaching our Samuel Church, we will go to the Prophet Isaiah for a while. He faced a Leviathan too. And the mistake Israel was making at that time is the same one we are making today. Also, the same one made in Samuel’s time. But Samuel was successful in slaying the Hydra of his time. Will we be? Isaiah exposed the Leviathan of his time and the creature was delayed, but never completely goes away. One-hundred years later, Daniel and his friends were carried off to Babylon because Israel failed to heed and remember the words of God through Isaiah.

The mistake Israel made during the time of Isaiah was they thought an enemy nation called Assyria was the problem, but it really was not. They thought they had a physical threat and tried to fix it with a physical solution. They failed to heed Isaiah’s words. They actually had a spiritual problem. You can’t fix a spiritual problem by physical means.

Same thing in Samuel’s time. They thought the Philistines were the problem. But they actually had a spiritual problem. Remember the condition of the Temple when Samuel was dropped in there as a very young lad? Remember old, fat, and blind Eli, and his wicked sons? Things got better for Israel once judgement fell on Eli and family. Samuel takes over and the Philistines miraculously are soon no longer a problem! Amazing how that worked. But the people had to be willing too.

I believe America is in the same boat. China, Iran, Russia? They are not our problem. The Democrats? They are not our real problem. Trump? He is not our problem. We have a spiritual problem. Will the Church of our day rise to the challenge? Do we have the wisdom? Do we have the will? Can we say “no” to the idols of our day like they did in the days of Samuel? The diversions, the gluttony, the lust for money, sex, and things? Can we get back to the old ways, the “high”-way of holiness? True devotion? True love? The BRIDE of Christ? Hhmmm. That’s gonna be a tough one. Especially if Trump succeeds and brings in a “material” golden age to America. As for our spiritual condition, a golden age could be our spiritual demise.

Human nature has always struggled with ease, pleasure, and abundance. We never seem to know when enough is enough. We chase after more and more and neglect the things of God and our soul. I suspect the white horse can ride and conquer as much as it wants while we are distracted with an American golden age. We already have been, but if Trump succeeds it will be even more so. Laodicea could become the Church of our day, if it is not already. Here is a description of the priesthood in Isaiah’s time. >

“These also, the priest and prophet, stagger from drink, weaving, falling down drunks, Besotted with wine and whiskey, can’t see straight, can’t talk sense. Every table is covered with vomit. They live in vomit.” (Isaiah 28: 7-8 Message Bible)

They were drunk on the world’s wine, not the Holy Spirit wine of God. Not the wine of the Promised Land that God led Abraham to dwell in, but the wine of Egypt! They thought they were so smart! Assyria was threatening them and so they entered into an alliance with Egypt! The very people they had been enslaved to for 400 years! They thought this man manipulated arrangement solved their problem! But they were too drunk to realize Assyria was not really the problem, God was! God had a problem with them!

The above scripture is how God described them. It is not uncommon to discover our problem holds the key to our solution. God, who was about to become their problem, was also the solution if only they would come out of their intoxicated stupor long enough to see it.

Same way in Samuel’s time. Eli was old, and his son’s were constantly drunk on this world’s wine. They were the blind leading the blind. I don’t know how many times I heard Biden say he was fighting for the SOUL of America. That scares me to death! Such an ungodly man fighting for our soul? The devil fights for our soul too! There is no doubt in my mind who Biden was serving!

We came within a hair’s breath of losing everything! And if the Church fails to return to the old ways, the tried and true ways of God, and put the “Samuel’s” back in the pulpit, we will fail, just like Israel eventually did and became victims of Babylon. The Babylon Leviathan/Hydra is here. Can it be defeated? Only God. Consider Isaiah 27: 1-5. >

“At that time God will unsheathe his sword, his merciless, massive, mighty sword. He’ll punish the serpent Leviathan as it flees, the serpent Leviathan thrashing in flight. He’ll kill that old dragon that lives in the sea.” (Deep and dark places. My comment.)

“At that same time, a fine vineyard will appear. There’s something to sing about! I, God, tend it. I keep it well-watered. I keep careful watch over it so that no one can damage it. I’m not angry. I care. Even if it gives me thistles and thornbushes, I’ll just pull them out and burn them up. Let that vine cling to me for safety, let it find a good and whole life with me, let it hold on for a good and whole life.”

In earlier articles we have spoken of Jesus turning “OUR” water to “HIS” wine. The vineyard spoken of in these scriptures will not produce the wine of the world that causes people to be drunk, weak, and stupid. This wine puts fire in our blood for that which is strong, wise, and alert! We do not stagger, but we stand strong! This wine will even give us the wings of the eagle! This wine is fermented in the supernatural power of God, not the mortal temporary ways of man leading to more death. There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death!

If the Church does not get back to producing this kind of wine, which comes when we allow God to turn our water into His wine, supernaturally, then Leviathan wins and get ready for great tribulation. God has an answer for that too. You can be as Daniel said even in such a time. Daniel said. >

“They who do know their God, shall be strong and do exploits. And those of understanding will teach many.”

Ezekiel was the Prophet who spoke when Babylon was actually conquering, and God did “something” just before the judgement fell. Remember, judgement is about to fall. Judgement is a horrible thing! If God did not spare His own Son the suffering of judgement when He was saving us, then we should not be shocked at the severity of judgement. If God’s own Son had to suffer as He did, then so will one and all who do not enter the safe place in Christ, the place of MERCY, paid for by Jesus Himself.

“The Glory of the God of Israel ascended from His usual place above the cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case who was dressed in linen: ‘Go through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city.’ “

“I listened as He went on to address the executioners: ‘Follow him through the city and kill. Feel sorry for no one. Show no compassion. Kill old men and women, mothers and children. But don’t lay a hand on anyone with the mark. Start at my Temple.” (Ezekiel 9:3-6 Message)

Start at my Temple. Don’t lay a hand on any who I have marked. A type of “Passover”. A supernatural favor given by God to those who cried out over the sinfulness of a people gone drunk over the things of this world. Like Lot, they were in torment over the pain and suffering they saw everyday in the earth because of rampant sin and disregard for God.

Ten virgins heard the wake-up call. Five were ready. Five were asleep and distracted with the wine of this world. Jesus said to remember Lot’s wife, who looking back at the world, was turned into a pillar of money. Five virgins were left behind to suffer the great tribulation. Even if the Church fails as a whole to rise to the challenge of our time, you and I as individuals can still choose to be the five wise virgins, empowered of God, to be strong and do exploits, just as Daniel said.

We can still choose to be the Shadrachs, Meshachs, and Abednegos of our time! Are we troubled by the ungodliness of our time and perhaps even in our own life? Are we in pain over it? God will honor that! He will mark us! He will show up as the fourth man in the fire! We will walk through fire and not be burned, by the power of God’s Wine! Psalms 91 and the whole Bible! Jesus always has a mighty fine Wine! Amen.

To be continued.