WEDNESDAY, JULY 5
Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:8-14

God called Samuel until Samuel answered – is the Holy Spirit challenging us to return to daily prayer in tongues to birth a new dimension of Christ? 1 Samuel 3:8-14 says, “And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli”s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.’” Preaching tradition for generations has produced an Eli-like church. Samuel did not yet know the Lord. But the Lord started talking to Samuel about judgment. What if the Lord is about to reveal Himself to us as a Judge, like He did to Samuel? Praying in the Spirit reveals mysteries! If the Lord speaks about judgment, can we hear it? God told Samuel Eli’s judgment would be permanent and Eli’s house would never have another man in ministry. Are we really ready to hear what God may say? That is Jesus, a prophet like Moses, manifesting judgment first at the house of God. Why are we told that starting with Samuel, all the prophets would speak of these things? There is a message in the book of Acts about how to prepare for the last days. God’s judgments started in the House of God – they started with Eli and his family because he refused to restrain the iniquity of his own sons. He forfeited the priesthood forever. When today’s ministers refuse to preach about sin or judgment are we turning the church into Elis? Do we have congregations more like Eli than God?