Focus: Not Anymore!

Text: 1Sam.13:20

"But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to SHARPEN every man his SHARE, and his COULTER, and his AXE, and his MATTOCK."

The people of this world are very crafty, and like the serpent of Eden, they are very subtle. Jesus Himself said, "For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Lk.16:8).

The Philistines made sure that the people of God did not manufacture or had access to weapons of war. The Scripture says, "Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears… So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found" (1Sam.13:19,22). This is similar to what Egypt did to the Israelites in the days of Moses. The king held an emergency Executive Council Meeting in which he convinced the people of the need to terminate the lives of the male children of Israel at birth in order to avoid or forestall any form of insurrection or internal military attack against them in the future. Also, they committed them to the hard task of building the cities of the pyramids. Egypt reduced Israel's men to mere slaves and occupied them with work so strenuous and tedious that they could barely have time for themselves, not to talk of having time to plot or plan a war. The people of this world play dangerous politics with people's lives and use power to subjugate people and advance their own selfish interests.

The Philistines did not stop at the military level, but they also made sure that the children of Israel would come to them to sharpen their farming tools or implements, otherwise cultivating the land and producing crops would be extremely difficult, if not altogether impossible. The Philistines made Israel totally dependent on them for their survival. Tell me, how can you fight a well trained and armed enemy without a single weapon in your hand? Be careful of the things you do together with the people of this world. They are slimy and cunning. It was by the fireside of those who did not believe in Jesus Christ, that Peter denied his Master with great cursing (Mk.14:54,66-71).

A Christian lives in a hostile environment. Remember the number 666 in the book of Revelation? It is the Antichrist's economic policy to enslave humanity. No one buys or sells without the number. It is a tool of control. By it everyone under his regime is reduced to a slave politically and commercially. The world's worldview is totally worldly. It is basically out of line with Scripture or the thinking of God. Examine their 'isms' for yourself: communism, capitalism, socialism, syncretism, secularism, humanism, determinism, imperialism, totalitarianism, evolutionism, scientism, etc. Is it not true what another has said, that 'man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains' - the chains of empty philosophies and the shackles of vain ideologies?

O how we patronize and depend on the world for virtually everything! Christians must develop skills in different fields of human endeavor and get involved with the establishment of industries and factories. In every segment of society, let there be Christians in positions of authority, who use their good and godly offices to influence decisions and actions, legislations and policies that affect the people positively.

Let us get our minds renewed! Our thinking should be different from that of the world. J. B. Phillips says, in his translation of Rom.12:2, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed." Let us give ourselves to doing what Paul, by the Spirit, has instructed us to do. He says, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, ESPECIALLY unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal.6:10). 

It is better for us as Christians to depend on each other than to depend on the world for our subsistence and survival. It is in Christ that we live, move and have our being.

Finally, it is interesting and exciting to know that the believer does not have to depend on the world for his weapons of warfare. The Christian needs no physical knives, swords or guns to fight against his enemy. Paul says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" (2Cor.10:3-4). In Eph.6, Paul says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph.6:12). 

Our warfare is of a spiritual nature. We combat the unseen evil forces that influence humanity into wrong doings. We do not engage in any kind of physical combat or violence. We are the people of peace. Our job is not to fight men, but to reconcile them with God and with each other.

God alone is the sharpener of our spiritual tools and the strengthener of our hearts, and in Christ we are forever triumphant. Not anymore should we look to the wrong places for answers. Not anymore should we go to the 'Philistines' to sharpen our God-given tools. Paul says, "Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me" (Act.20:34). Your hands are capable of taking care of you and others. Let us join our mouths together to say, Not anymore!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter