04/23 Thoughts & Comments By Dr. Daniel Daves

23-Apr 1 Sam. 1-2 James 3-4 Psalms 111-115 Proverbs 23

1 Sam 1:10-16 (NIV) 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." 15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."

Birthing a fresh move of God usually comes with much bitterness and weeping, fasting, prayer, and actions that are not understandable to the current structure of worship.  Hannah was birthing more than a first son.  She would birth the great prophet who would take over a corrupt priesthood and bring about a great change for Israel and the times that were coming upon Israel.  in the near future, great giant enemies would be coming against the land and the current priesthood was in no position to hear from God, to obey Him, or to deliver the nation out of the hands of the Philistines.  An administration change would be necessary, and Hannah was praying for the one who would successfully guide Israel through these changes.

Eli the priest was so clueless that he thought Hannah was drunk when she laid there praying fervently before the lord with great tears.  Hophni and Phinehas were out having sex with the girls that served in their church, and they were extracting offerings by force. They wouldn't listen to sound advice or counsel, and they would soon fall under harsh judgment which would cost them their lives.  With this type of leadership, Israel would be doomed.  BUT GOD always has a plan, and always births a new movement just on time.  That movement always comes from an obscure location that no one considers in their natural understanding.

Hannah would give birth to a son, which she had dedicated to the Lord.  This son Samuel would grow up in the corrupt house of Eli, and yet would learn to hear from God and serve faithfully before him.  He would receive the mantle of the national priesthood, and would end up anointing King David in the future, the one who would conquer the attacking Philistine armies.

COMPASS GUIDE students:  It's important to know that the corrupt church systems in the world today are much like Eli's corrupt system of that day.  They are soon to be replaced with a new realm of leadership, a Samuel anointing which has the capacity to hear from God and obey His word.  Who will the new leaders be in the future?  Those who know God's voice, who follow His will, who speak for Him, and who do great exploits.  In short, they will be ministering flames of fire who honor and obey Him, rather than using the church system for a paycheck and for personal gain.

Heb 1:7 (NIV) 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."

For anyone who dares to take the COMPASS GUIDE challenge, you will find yourself deeply immersed in a fiery exchange between you and God, between your will and His, between your thoughts and plans, and His thoughts and plans.  The daily fire of His Word will challenge and change you.  It will surface the impurities that will negatively affect His will in your life.  His Word as a sharp sword will divide flesh from Spirit, and will begin to work a miracle inside of your life.  It will change you to the point that you grow comfortable in the fire.  You will become one with His fire.  You will begin to speak from within His fire, and you will become a ministering flame of fire as you serve His purposes and not your own.  

Millions of people around the world are quietly walking through the fire right now in preparation for regime change.  They are taking the high road, not the easy road.  They are preparing for leadership in a brave new world which will require fire as the pre-requisite to true godly leadership.  This is not a fire that can be attained or purchased in a weekend seminar or a 30 day revival meeting.  This preparation will take years.  Just as Samuel was raised up to lead the nation from a young boy, so many are being raised up now to lead the nations in the coming decades.  They will be used by God now. But their true leadership capacities will unfold in the future when the fire comes!

FIRE is coming to the earth in the near future.  It may be five years from now or twenty years from now.  But when it comes, there will be a select group of people, FIRST RESPONDERS, who run into the fire while everyone else is running away from it.  The current church leadership of the day "Eli/Saul" will run for the hills and soil his armor when the fire comes.  But the true leaders of the new regime change "Samuel/David" will arise to the occasion with faith and resolve, and they will step into the fire because it will be a place that they have been trained in, and the fire will fit them perfectly.

I highly recommend that you join the COMPASS GUIDE program, and like Hannah, fight your way through it.  Get God's will for your life.  Learn to hear from Him and to obey His voice.  Find out who you are in Him, and get your 25 word Core Vision Statement clearly defined on paper.  Get your godly goals set before God and begin the daily process of running them through the fire of His holy word.  You are a leader in training.  First you must go through the fire.  You must allow the fire to heat you up, surface and skim the dross, and to refine you completely.  Then you will shine when the fire comes to the world.  You will boldly step into the fire and not be burned.  You will become a true servant, a messenger, a flame of fire for Almighty God!      

Tomorrow's Reading:
24-Apr 1 Sam. 3-4 James 5 Psalms 116-120 Proverbs 24