Continued from yesterday...

Isaiah 42:1-3 Prophetic word about Jesus "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen on in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout out or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out".

God longs to take your face in His hands and love you – you're everything to Him. He looks you in the eyes and speaks healing. Do you know that God?

Most of this generation feels like a bruised reed a smoldering wick – They see God as angry, never satisfied – impossible to please;

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Jesus was sent to steady the flame, make the "bruised reed" straight again... Matthew 12:20 - Takes their face in His hands and loves them; He speaks life into them – you are everything to Me – speaks healing.

Psalms 34:4-5  I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Shame is a condition that has blinded this generation. Fatherlessness has overrun America. Parents and forefathers have bought into a world system – value system. Many hours of work – much neglect – latch key children – double income – and the fruit of it is a shame-based condition.

Shame – at the bottom line of my identity – I'm no good, it's all hopeless – when the truth comes out I'm not acceptable... at this point we chose to walk away from the commandments of the Lord.

Saul walked away from the commandments of the Lord – he wanted the stuff! He made choices all through his life that led to greater and greater shame – disobeyed God. Refused to wait for the Prophet to come sacrifice; refused to kill the king God told him to kill; refused the presence of God for 40 years! TRYING TO MAINTAIN IN THE FLESH WHAT GOD HAD GIVEN HIM BY GRACE – we know that one, don't we?

As we learned yesterday he passed it on to the next generation, to Ish-Bosheth: man of Shame.  Ish-Bosheth tried to hold on to the kingdom just like his dad – he knew it wasn't his, but he wanted the stuff...

We will continue with another one of Saul's family that didn't want the stuff – and a king that was satisfied with the presence of God, it was enough... he didn't need the stuff...

Their faces were radiant and never covered with shame!

(I have preached this message many times over the years and seen hundreds set free; My friend, Gary Wiens, has this whole teaching on MP3; if you have ever dealt with shame or know someone that does, please pick this up)