Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
The Box
Unlock the mysteries of the Ark of the Covenant and discover its timeless significance for today's believers. What can this ancient symbol, crafted by the Spirit-led artisan Bezalel and brimming with divine relics like the Ten Commandments, teach us about God's enduring covenant and provision? Journey with us as we explore how the Ark's rich history and its journey through 1 Samuel 7 offer profound lessons on carrying and revering God's presence in our lives and ministries today.
As we recount the Ark's storied past, see how its power extends beyond its physical form, foreshadowing Christ's coming and embodying God's presence and protection. Listen to the dramatic biblical narrative where the Ark was captured by the Philistines, but ultimately, through divine intervention, it returned to Israel. Learn about the dangers of neglecting the Holy Spirit's presence, as reflected in the Israelites' struggles and the miraculous events that unfolded.
Join us for a heartfelt and introspective reflection with a retired pastor, who opens up about his journey of seeking God's presence. Through his personal story, we emphasize the importance of living a life aligned with Christian values and the joy found in praise and worship. Celebrate the beauty and fulfillment of expressing gratitude to God, and embrace a deeper connection to faith, as we come together to honor and glorify the name of the Lord.
Not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive Him.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 4:You're getting them in the presence of God, and that's what today's message is about Primarily the presence of God. I don't know if you well, I'm sure you won't remember, but some 12, 15 years ago the Lord gave me a message concerning the Ark of the Covenant and we kind of followed the ark in its travels. I believe it was called the road to Beth Shemesh. Do you remember? The cows pulled the ark after the Philistines. One did nothing more to do with it and that was the content of the, that message, and it was used as a charm or a talisman. But what God has given me was a fresh glimpse of that message from 12 years ago Regarding following the ark, regarding following the Ark a glimpse of the Ark, but not so much as an Old Testament account, but how that applies to us and what the Ark of the Covenant means to you and I. Does it have an application or is that just some religious icon from millennia ago? So maybe we'll call this a fresh anointing on an old message. Amen. Now we know that the ark was a wooden box. I actually, early this week, I was thinking about saying, jeff, can you whip me up this? And then, when we got into all the gold inlays. I said this is too much. You'll just have to visualize this. You have to use your imagination.
Speaker 4:The Ark was a wooden box. It was built by Bezalel. The Ark was a wooden box. It was built by Bezalel. He was a Holy Ghost anointed craftsman. In the Old Testament, whether it was with temple building or this Ark of the Covenant, god filled specific people with the Holy Spirit to do specific tasks. Everybody didn't have that opportunity, like we do, to be filled with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost would come upon a person for a particular need, for a particular build. But Bezalel was called on to build this sacred chest. It was made from acacia wood locust it's the Mideastern version of our locust tree. It was overlaid inside and out with pure gold Pure gold. It was 45 inches long. It was 27 inches deep. It was 27 inches wide. That's the size of this chest. It had two gold rings on either side. I don't know if they were. It says pure gold in the bible, but I don't know that that they were pure gold, because two permanently affixed poles went through these two rings so that you could carry the box. I don't know, the gold would hold up uh as heavy as that box would be. So, just trying to be completely open and honest with you, they were.
Speaker 4:It contained, most of you know. It contained the stone tablets, the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down. It contained a jar of manna and it contained Aaron's staff Aaron's staff, by the way, which was inside the box in full bloom, this stick, this stick was in bloom. See, jamie, if you had that, you're home free. The lid of the box was called the mercy seat. All right, on either side of the mercies, it too was gold. On either side of the mercy seat were cherubim, heavenly creatures. I know some people call them angels, but let's just say they were heavenly creatures, a winged creature from heaven. They too were fashioned of pure gold. Their wings overspread the box, overspread the mercy seat, and touched their wingtips. Touched.
Speaker 4:Now, this box was heavy, it was cumbersome, it was difficult to handle, it was difficult to carry, to move, especially with the restriction on the box. No one was allowed to touch it. Under great penalty, no one could touch this Ark of the Covenant, this box. Christy, let's go to work.
Speaker 4:And if you're wondering why I'm getting into all this, the details of this, the real significance for you and I, what the ark represents to us is the very presence of God, the very presence of God, the very presence of God Inside the tabernacle of old. It resided within the holy of holies, the innermost part of the tabernacle, the habitation of God, the presence of God in God's house. And let me just preface this message You're going to really have to stay connected with this. This isn't a message that, if I would guess preach somewhere that I would ever bring, because it is deep, it is heavy, but I know that and the Holy Spirit knew that you would understand and that you would grab it. But it is heavy, it is deep, the presence of God within God's house. But a lot happened with the ark, as its presence and the presence of God went many places in our message this morning and we'll explore some of those places that the ark traveled and apply God's presence to your walk, to our life, to our ministry, amen.
Speaker 4:So if you'll turn with Chrissy, please, to 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel 7. And I gave Chrissy a tough job this morning too. A lot of places in there, chrissy, that are a little bit rough. 1 Samuel 7,. 1 through 6. Whenever you get there, would you please stand in reverence and respect to God's word 1 Samuel, 7 and 1.
Speaker 3:And the men of Kirjath-Durim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill and sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass while the ark abode in Kirjath-Jerim at the time was long, for it was twenty years and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel saying If you do not return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and ask Taroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only. And Samuel said Gather all Israel to Mezpah and I will pray for you unto the Lord. And they gathered together to Mezpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there we have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Ezrael in Mezpah.
Speaker 4:The ark spent 20 years in Kirjath-jearim at the house of Abinabab son Eleazar. It was as the Lord explained it to me. It was a moment in time, it was a snapshot. We look at it as an Old Testament story, but it was a snapshot that Almighty God made, in the Old Testament to you and I, in the New Testament, a statement to all the world, specifically that those who believed and it's that statement that God made that we'll explore this morning in a message entitled simply the Box, the Box, the Box. He didn't correct me, so that's where we're at. Amen, amen, let's pray, heavenly Father. Thank you, lord, thank you for this Old Testament trip, lord, this Old Testament. Nothing's too hard for you, lord, but I am awed by not only your presence but by the deepness of your word that you trust me with, lord. Lord, I ask that your anointing this morning that I don't make any mistakes, that I don't take anything on my own, and I ask you to open your folks ears, lord, that they might hear your voice through this message. In Jesus' name, amen. Please be seated.
Speaker 4:You know we touched on the ark's not only its the very outset of today's message, but maybe a little deeper back in that message from 12 years ago. And it's all everything within the ark, everything that the ark was constructed from, was Yahweh's statement to them and to us, ready at this moment, in 1 Samuel, for public release, finally ready for release. For release, the manna that was in the box, god's provision for his children, manna, was a honey bread that fed the children of Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness. For all those years Didn't have anything to eat. Every morning the Lord would send these little honey breads that would fall from the sky. Manna Couldn't store them though, couldn't jar them, couldn't keep them, this jar that was in the Ark of the Covenant. By God's permission, this jar of manna was able to be kept, but it spoke of God's provision for his people that he will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory. That the righteous are never forsaken, or God's seed begging for bread. The commandments, god's law, god's law in the Old Testament, that the Old and the New Testament would rest on his law, one being concealed, one being revealed, old and new, because the only one who kept his law perfectly and without question was one, jesus Christ, only one.
Speaker 4:The rod with the bloom. I love that idea that Aaron's rod, his staff that he carried with him, bloomed again. It represented the resurrection, life returning where there was no life. A stick Life returning where there was no life. A stick. A stick that was even stripped of all its bark Bloomed Hallelujah.
Speaker 4:The mercy seat sprinkled with blood, the price that would be paid for our sin, the blood without which there is no remission. Unless the blood is shed, there is no remission of sin. Contained in the box, and without the box, the very presence of God, the power of God displayed in that ark was the provision of God and the protection of God. Not only that they would enjoy, but that we would enjoy All of that contained in part of this box that would be revealed in the flesh. Amen. And then the statement from Almighty God was I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming to earth in this flesh suit. A man, in the beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And then the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Everywhere the box was there was God himself. Everywhere the box went was God himself. Everywhere the box went was God himself, the manifestation, the power, the provision, the protection.
Speaker 4:But we have to follow this story out a little bit and it's not chronological. In 1 Samuel you just can't read okay, here's what happened. You got to jump around a little bit because the Bible isn't recorded necessarily chronologically. Sometimes you have to follow a story. So 1 Samuel 4, just back a couple of chapters 4 and 1. And the word of Samuel came to all of Israel.
Speaker 4:Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and pitched beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek and the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel and when they joined battle, israel was smitten before the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, israel was smitten before the Philistines and they slew of the army in the field, about 4,000 men. And when the people were coming to the camp, the elders of Israel said Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today, before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the lord out of shiloh unto us that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemy. So the people sent to shiloh and they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims, and, and the two sons of Eli, hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. We see coming to an end this marvelous presence of God among the people of Israel, among the believer.
Speaker 4:They began to minimize the ark. If you look at that very last verse, hophni and Phinehas were priests in the tabernacle at Shiloh and were left in care of the ark. They were both evil men that sold the meat offerings that stole from the temple. That, pardon me, but the implication is they had sex with prostitutes in the temple, in the tabernacle Not good men, that ark, and their dad was the high priest at Shiloh. So that's like a double curse, because now dad winked at what his kids were doing in the tabernacle, gave them the authority, the power to do that. So it's double trouble here.
Speaker 4:And the people began not only to minimize what was happening in the tabernacle, the temple, but minimize the ark, treated it as an old superstition. Yeah, they did that. Yeah, they liked that. They combined their beliefs with worldly beliefs and paganism and outright wickedness. Because, after all, they were educated people, they were smart, they were intelligent, they were intelligent, they were intellectuals, they all went to college, much like what's happened for centuries when the church turned its back on the Holy Spirit of God. Amen, and Ichabod was the name of the church. The Holy Spirit has left the premises that it took all the way until the great outpouring of the late 19th century and Azusa in 1906 to the last few years, where it seems to me that we're going the other way again, that we're now leaning on our own understanding, what we see as important, important. We're in the same trouble as the believers in 1 Samuel in the 4th chapter. We're in the same place today.
Speaker 4:They put the ark in a tabernacle called Shiloh. Shiloh at the time was a happening place. People were getting healed, people were getting saved, people were coming to God. This was incredible. Shiloh was built by Moses and it was to house the ark, but it began to be diminished and disregarded, not a part of their everyday life. It was kind of put off in a special room that nobody ever opened, nobody went into, not a daily or even a weekly need. They kept it, remembering how things used to be. They put this ark where people go. Oh, it's back there. Remembering how things used to be. They put this ark where people go. Oh, it's back there. It's how it used to be. Remember when we used to see people healed. When we used to see people baptized in the Holy Ghost, when we used to hear manifestations of the Holy Ghost Used to manifestations of the Holy Ghost Eustach, they assigned it to superstition, nothing more than superstition.
Speaker 4:Now, one day, israel finds themselves locked in a war with the Philistines. Israel is totally defeated. So, looking back in retrospect after the battle, they shouldn't have been beaten. They were beaten, and beaten soundly. They looked back and said why? Why did we lose? How could we lose? We outmanned them, we outgunned them, we out everythinged them and we still lost. And some of the people responded I know what? We're missing God, we're missing the Lord. So in the ark down at Shiloh, didn't we leave it there at Shiloh? Let's go get the ark, bring it back, bring this box in, and we'll go back and fight tomorrow and we'll whip them. We'll whip them once we have the ark.
Speaker 4:But what was wrong is it wasn't God that they sought. They weren't looking for a relationship with. They didn't repent and say we want a relationship with our God. They said go get that box, because that'll fix this, that'll help us. It was the magic that they felt was in the box, not God. It was the magic that they thought was contained. It wasn't his presence that they desired or what they could gain from a relationship with God. It's what they could gain from having that box. Do you know what it was, donna? It was a religious 911 call. That's what it was. It was a religious 911 call. That's what it was. They didn't want God in their lives. They didn't want him controlling any aspect of their church. They didn't want to follow him or even worship him. But if we just had that box, come on, somebody, run down to Shiloh, bring the box back.
Speaker 4:Much like so many Christians are today, whatever crisis we find ourselves in, financial, we ask God for it. Just send me a check, lord. Just send me a check. Let a check show up in the mail. We don't want a relationship with him. Health crisis Just heal me. Just heal me. You know I'm a good guy. Heal me. We don't want to follow him. Just give me this. Just give me this. Hallelujah, hallelujah. It's amazing how, when someone's in a health crisis, how the tithe goes whoop like we can buy something from God.
Speaker 4:Even though prior to these issues, we weren't too interested in following Christ, life took priority activities, superseded a relationship, golf got a little bump over church. They wanted a good luck charm. They wanted a talisman. They wanted a rabbit's foot to kiss Amen. They want to. You remember the break glass in case of an emergency. I never understood that. Anyway, I don't know what breaking that glass is going to do for me. Break glass, that's what they wanted. All they wanted was that little hammer. Let's break the glass in case of an emergency. Just access to the box when things aren't going as we had hoped.
Speaker 4:So Israel goes back. I love the word the Bible uses. They go back and fetch the box. They bring it back. God and I'm not sure in what manner, but God speaks his preference to go with the Philistines as opposed to the children of Israel. What's that about? How can that be? It's the presence of Israel's God in the box. God chooses to go, or he wouldn't have went. The box wouldn't have went if he didn't want to go. You'll see what happens in a minute. But it seems to me, and what the Lord spoke to me in studying this out, is that at least the Philistines knew of his power, at least they respected his authority, they recognized his position.
Speaker 4:Israel took the ark onto the battlefield with the Philistines and they lost 30,000 men. Now they had the box and they lost 30,000. 30,000 men died, not only the warriors that went up against the Philistines. They had to bring word to Eli that his two sons, hophni and Phinehas, were killed the two evil priests. My Phinehas had a wife who was pregnant at the time, okay, and the Lord spoke and said as soon as she gives birth, she's going too. As she gives birth, she's going too. All these people At the child's birth.
Speaker 4:The box is now stolen by the Philistines. And remember 30,000 dead soldiers Eli, not yet. Eli's not dead yet. Hophni, phinehas, his daughter-in-law all dead. The box is stolen by the Philistines. On the same day, eli, out mourning the loss of his sons, falls off a wall. The Bible is very careful and says Eli was a heavy man. He falls off a wall and breaks his neck. He's dead. So we got all these warriors Hophni, phinehas, eli, daughter-in-law all dead. All these people dead because they chose not to honor God or welcome his presence. And there is where Ichabod is written on the door at Shiloh God has left the building. Now that's the core of what God has given me for this first message of 2025 that rejecting the presence of God, rejecting the spirit of God, rejecting the moving of the Holy Spirit, the results can be catastrophic Catastrophic as a church, as a ministry, as an individual, a parishioner.
Speaker 4:If you remember that the Philistines have the Ark, they take it to one, to their place of worship called the house of Dagon. Dagon is the Philistines' fish, god right, half man, half fish. And they set the ark that they stole beside Dagon. They want to see how they're going to get along, daniel. They just want to see how they're going to work this out. The God of the Hebrews, the God of the Philistines, set him beside in there. Next morning they come in, dagon is off of his throne, he's. The Bible actually says that he's laying prostrate next to the Ark of the Covenant. I think it says at the feet of the Ark of the Covenant, and so they blame it on. Could be a wind, could be a little.
Speaker 4:We had a little issue here. Maybe there was a little tremor and he fell, or maybe an animal did. It knocked Dagon down. Of course, all the help they need setting it back up, I'm not sure. So they set Dagon back up on his throne and the next day after they pick him back up and put him in his place. The next day they go in and his Dagon's on the floor again. His hands are broken off and his head's broken off. You're just thinking about this right now. How many of you want to serve a God that needs help, that needs help getting up, that you got to go in with duct tape and wire and fix him. And that's not all. And I'm going to get well, I'll let you decide.
Speaker 4:All the men, all the men in Israel, amen, develop, not Israel among the Philistines. They all develop what the Bible calls hemorrhoids. Now I've heard studies that say they're hemorrhoids and forgive me for the and I've also heard that studies that they were just lumps all over their flesh. Every man, every man developed this. So it's not just a little issue here. They're convinced it's a result of the ark, the box, and they just want rid of it. Just get rid of it. The Philistines want rid of it, israel wants rid of it. Nobody wants the ark, because this is carrying bad juju.
Speaker 4:So they put it on an ark or on a cart, I'm sorry. So they put it on an ark or on a cart, I'm sorry. And they have cows pulling the cart and if you remember from this 12 year old message. They're not just cows, they're called in the bible milch kind. Do you remember that milch kind? That means they're nursing cows. They're cows with babies. And in order for the cart to end up back in Israel, these cows would have to go the opposite way of their children. And cows may be a lot of things, sam, but they're good mothers. And the cows went the opposite way of their calves to take the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel, back home, away from. The Bible even says that they went lowing. They went complaining, but they went. They went complaining but they went. They went complaining, but they went.
Speaker 4:Israel saw the ark returning and they were excited to get it back. We're going to get the ark back. We're going to get the ark back. And they had the thought that the Philistines stole the contents of the ark and were chipping off gold and all that sort of thing. And when the ark came back in, the Bible tells us that 50,000 Israelites were instantly killed. We're up to over 80,000 dead now. All right, all over this box, 80,000 dead. Eli, his son's daughter-in-law, all died because of the box. We had two battles that went on 30,000, 50,000, all dead because of this box. 80,000 funerals happened in Israel over the Ark of the Covenant.
Speaker 4:You think it's important? Israel's king, king Saul, didn't want the box. Get it out of here. Get that away from me. King Saul was all about King Saul. Find some place to keep it, and that's.
Speaker 4:This is the point where we started this message right here In 1. Samuel Saul is frightened by the ark, didn't want the presence of God, didn't want the presence of God nationally, didn't want the presence of God personally. Isn't that where we're at today? Don't really want the presence of God. We kick prayer out of schools. We don't want it in our nation. We don't want it in our institutions. Happy holidays Not allowed to say Merry Christmas.
Speaker 4:No nativity on public grounds. Those are public. No mention of the name Jesus. You may offend someone. That's where we are. No manifestoin the church. In the church, it's even worse. No manifestations of the Holy Ghost. No Holy Ghost displays. You want a Holy Ghost impartation and manifestation? You go down in the basement. You keep that quiet. You want to speak in tongues? You go back in the back room where nobody can hear you. No shouting. No Holy Ghost displays. No praying in the Spirit all right. No singing in the Spirit. No whistling, no whistling, no whistling, nothing allowing the presence of God to be felt in the tabernacle of the Most High.
Speaker 4:Just a quick story. Daughter of a Baptist pastor True story, baptist pastor. We'll call her name Cindy, don't know her name. She started to hang out with some Pentecostal girls. All right, she started to go to the Assembly of God, to the aglow meetings, amen. And she started to get. She started to catch on fire. And she started to catch on fire, still going to her dad's church, baptist church, but she's on fire now. And so she would come on Sundays and she would start to shout, she would start to praise God during the sermon. And this daughter of a Baptist pastor, the church board, went to the pastor, to her dad, and said look, you've got to get this girl under control. We're Baptists, we don't do this, you've got to shut her down. And he said all right, I'll try. And he tried and it didn't work. And she got more boisterous and louder and they told the pastor look, you're going to be fired if you can't get Cindy under control. So he went and talked to Cindy and said look, hon, maybe it's better off that you go and go to church with your friends. And she did. She had a great life, grew up into an adult, vibrant part of the ministry at the Assembly of God there, grew in the Lord.
Speaker 4:Dad retired from his pastorate and at 92 or 93, he lay dying and his family was all around him and he was okay with his life, what he had accomplished. And he told his family. He said look, I know I've only got an hour or two left. I can feel the organs shutting down in my body. And he asked him. He said will you just leave me alone, except for Cindy? He said would you come back? And he explained to her that he wouldn't last more than an hour. He said I want to tell you how sorry I am for ignoring the presence of God. He said here's what I want you to do. He said the moment of my passing. Would you shout me through? Would you shout me through? Glory, glory.
Speaker 4:The box in type and shadow is the very presence of God. It portrays a mighty God, a holy God. A holy God who cannot entertain sin. A holy God who cannot be tricked or fooled or religified. I don't know if that's a word or not. He would not be appeased by a religious gesture or how we dress that. He requires our love for him with all our heart, with all our souls, with all our minds, like we sang today Amen, everything that we have, that's what allows the presence of God to move, that's what allows the presence. And if we don't measure up, if we don't keep the law not the law of the Old Testament law if we don't keep God's law in a Christian's case, that's being a Christ follower, no, turning back. No turning back. If we don't open the door to the unfettered, open access for the Holy Spirit to take control in our lives, in our church, if we're not opening that door, the result is judgment and the result will be spiritual death. So we don't want the presence of God. We don't want the presence of God in our lives, in our church, in our country, in our community.
Speaker 4:Philistines didn't want it, israel didn't want it. Just put it somewhere. Put it somewhere. Can't throw it away, just put it somewhere. Put it somewhere. Can't throw it away, just put it. Dump it at somebody's house. Let them keep it, get it out of here. So he takes it and I apologize for this being a little long. I hope I praise. This is connecting with you. They take it to Abinadab's house. He and his wife have three sons.
Speaker 4:It's just one of those Old Testament stories that doesn't get explained and you know we just kind of gloss over it as nothing. And it isn't nothing. Father said to his three sons which are you guys? Which one of you will take the ark? It's not a light matter. Whoever takes it, it carries great responsibility. You have to keep it, you have to care for it. You can't just take it up and shove it in the closet, can't put it in the back room somewhere. That's what they did at Shiloh.
Speaker 4:It's old. It has blood stains on the mercy seat. It has his angels, his winged creatures, it has manna. It's God's provision, it's God's purpose. It's God's purpose, it's everything that he is, it's his prophecy of things to come. It will demand, he tells his sons, it will demand a life change. So which one of you want it? If you're going to keep it, your conduct's going to have to change and seeing that your house isn't a temple or a tabernacle, then that means this box is going to have to go with you everywhere you go. You're going to have to fix something up. This box has to be with you at all times and this, I guess, is where the Holy Spirit inspired me, as the first part of this message being foundation and having preached it previously, this is where he inspired me with the fresh anointing.
Speaker 4:Wherever you and I go, whether it's work or school or shopping, got to take the Ark with you. Got to take the Ark with you. It's really uncomfortable to take the Ark into a bar, into a casino, into a club, because the Ark won't be welcome there, the box won't be welcome there. The box won't be welcome. It has to be. You can't take the ark into a motel room. I don't mean the motel. You understand what I'm trying to say without saying it.
Speaker 4:Who will keep the ark has to be a habit, has to be something that we do, who we are. Who will keep his presence? Because if we will, he'll protect us. If we'll keep the ark, he'll provide. He said we're two or three gathered. I'm in the midst, if you welcome my presence.
Speaker 4:Hey Dad, how long do we have to keep it? I don't know. A lifetime maybe, I don't know, because I have to tell you. You know I got some things going on. I'm busy, I have a lot of work to do. I have a lot of work to do. Dad says look, all I know is it's on its way and one of you got to take it.
Speaker 4:If we were privy to that conversation, I think it even goes deeper. Not just, I got a lot going on. Hey, dad, I got this girlfriend. Now I think I'm pretty serious about this. I can't put this box between us. I got this new business I just started.
Speaker 4:I can't carry a box into the, not to mention all the things that I have to do in order to carry the box, because all the rules around the box what if I have a date? I can't get the girl and the box in the same cart. There's nobody that doesn't love the ark, but I can't really be in that situation with the ark. Uh, help me, lord, be in that situation with the ark. Help me, lord.
Speaker 4:If being in God's presence, if being a keeper of the ark is going to mess up old friendships, old relationships, so be it. So be it. So be it. If it messes up casual acquaintances, cause, look, they're gonna invite you to a party and say, hey, come on. Yeah, but you can't bring the box in. The box has to stay out. Put it in a garage. It'll be fine if you're going to be a receiver of the power and the provision and the protection in a garage. It'll be fine If you're going to be a receiver of the power and the provision and the protection you got. To keep the ark.
Speaker 4:We have to keep the ark. We can't do a job, we can't marry a man or a woman, can't go to a school or frequent a place where the ark isn't welcome, can't go to a church where the ark isn't welcome. See, this is old time, stop. And we're not interested in anointing oil and the gifts of the Spirit and those old hymns that they sing and speaking in tongues. We really don't want heartfelt, open worship. Why would we take that into our home? Because now it's going to change our plans, our dreams, our life, and you know what? I'm pretty happy with my life. That's what we hear. I'm pretty okay.
Speaker 4:One boy spoke up and said I'll take it. I'm willing to make any of the changes. I'll do whatever I have to do in order to be an ark keeper. I don't care what I'm involved in and I won't get involved in anything where the ark isn't welcome, where I can't take this ark. See, keeping the ark isn't just for Sundays. Keeping the ark is every day. Keeping the ark is every day. The box is between you and the world. It's between you and temptation.
Speaker 4:One more I know I'm running short of time Aaron, second Samuel, and I'll finish this. Second Samuel, 6. 2 Samuel, 6. Got to finish the story. 1., 6 and 1. Again, david gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. And David arose and went, with all the people that were with him, from Baal of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gelbea and Orza and Ohio yeah, that was his name, ohio and the son of Abinadab drove the new cart. Let me stop there and you can finish it out. Just for the sake of time, finish it out one through seven.
Speaker 4:In 2 Samuel, something happens that we didn't see before 20 years. The boy kept the ark secure, safe. He kept it. He was the remnant of believers. That's who he was. That's who the son was.
Speaker 4:Saul's kingdom comes to an end. A new kingdom comes to power. Listen closely. New kingdom comes to power. Listen closely. David, a man after God's own heart, who loved the Lord, who loved the presence, who loved the power, becomes the new king. He asks to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. Where is it? Where is it? It's in Shiloh. No, it's not in Shiloh. We went and checked. Not there, we left it at Eliezer's house. Yeah, it's not there. His son took it. He kept the ark for 20 years.
Speaker 4:The reason and this is the most important part of the message the reason that we feel the presence of God, the reason that David was able to dance around that ark in true worship, in true praise of God, is because Eliezer kept the ark. He kept the presence of God, kept it alive. A whole new generation will taste and see that the Lord is good. So we sang this morning he is good. But if we're not teaching that, if we're not, vicki, if we're not telling folks that the Lord is good, we're not telling folks that the Lord is good, we won't feel his power, we won't reap his provision, because nobody kept it. But somebody kept the ark. They wouldn't be bullied, they couldn't be coerced or deceived.
Speaker 4:David goes to get the ark at Eliezer's house. He puts it in a brand new cart. The three brothers are asked to accompany the ark, this parade, back into Jerusalem. One brother, ohio. He wouldn't keep it, but he wants to be on the stage. He wants to be in the parade, but he wouldn't keep the ark. The other brother, uzzah, wants to drive the cart. I got this. I got this. Give me the reins, I'll drive the cart. Hallelujah, eliezer didn't go to the parade. The boy who kept the ark stayed home.
Speaker 3:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, springdale, pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.
Speaker 1:Whatever you need this morning if you need a healing, if you need hope, if you need a miracle, if you need blessing, if you want to be filled with the holy ghost it all starts with praise into thy presence. We come not by the works we have done, but by thy grace and thy grace alone. Come on, let's continue to praise him this morning. Oh, give thanks unto the lord, for he is good.
Speaker 2:Yes, he is good. Oh, give thanks unto the lord for he is good.
Speaker 1:Yes, he is good. Oh, give thanks unto the.
Speaker 2:Lord for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy, worthy for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good.
Speaker 1:Yes, he is good blessed be the name of the lord, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Speaker 2:Sing it out Blessed be the name of the Lord Most High. Sing it again Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord most high.
Speaker 1:I will sing unto the Lord a new song for he is good. Yes, he is good, I will clap my hands before him and praise him all day long.
Speaker 2:For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy Worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy Worthy For he is good, yes he is good.
Speaker 1:Yes, jesusesus, there is nowhere else. We'd rather be lord. Hallelujah to the king. We praise you, father, not for what you have done or for what we know you will do, but simply because you're our dad and we love you.
Speaker 2:Oh, give thanks, unto the Lord, for he is good. Yes, he is good.
Speaker 1:Oh, give thanks unto the.
Speaker 2:Lord, for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy, worthy For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good, yes.
Speaker 4:Thank you, lord Praise your holy name.
Speaker 1:Lord, I love to see your skies when you paint a glorious sunrise. I love the dew in the morning and hearing songbirds sing, but there's nothing sweeter to me Than to join in a harmony, with all my brothers and sisters Singing praise to the King.
Speaker 2:I love to sing your praise, lord, I love the sound of your name.
Speaker 1:Yes, it fills me with peace and washes over me like a sweet, gentle rain, it brings the victory.
Speaker 2:No matter what I face, through all of my days, I love to sing your praise.
Speaker 1:Yes Lord, that is the truth. We love to sing your praise, father, amen, amen.