The David Spoon Experience

The David Spoon Experience 9-24-24 part 1

A) Matthew chapter 19, verse 16, is where the rich young man comes up to Jesus and asks, "What must I do to have eternal life?" Right away, he starts with the wrong idea: he believes he must do something through his own power, strength, or purchasing ability to obtain eternal life.B) Jesus' response is quite classical. He says, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good." This is Jesus' way of saying, "You are asking a teacher for wisdom and advice, but you don't recognize who you're actually asking. You are asking God; you just haven't figured that out yet, but you will in about 60 seconds."
 

The David Spoon Experience 9-23-24 part 2

1) We pick up our journey in Genesis chapter 8, verse 13, where we find out that Noah is 601 years old. Ten and a half months after the process began, Noah could see that the water was drying up. Verse 14 teaches us that two more months went by, so Noah and his family spent an entire year plus in the ark with the animals.2) It's worth noting how long this took because we often expect that God will bring about deliverance instantaneously in all situations, but that is not often the case. While Noah and his family were kept safe, they still had to spend a considerable amount of time in the ark. This should teach us the one thing Noah already exemplifies: patience, patience, patience.3) I can't help but marvel at verse 15 when God says to Noah, "Leave the boat, all of you." This is important because when it's time to go, God will tell you. When it's time to leave the desert, enter the promised land, go into the boat, or get out of the boat, God will let you know. It has more to do with listening than telling.4) When it was time for everyone to get out of the ark, people and animals alike got busy. The first thing Noah did was build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice the animals approved for that purpose. This pleased God because the very first action of mankind after the flood was to give an offering that was pleasing to the Lord. This was a good start for the new Earth.5) Sidebar: In verse 22, it is noted that there will always be springtime, harvest, cold, heat, winter, and summer. To all the environmental cultists: just read Genesis 8:22—it would solve a lot of problems.

The David Spoon Experience 9-23-24 part 1

A) **2 Timothy 4:14** highlights the stark reality of significant resistance to Christ's teachings worldwide. Some of this resistance stems from religious beliefs born out of deception. Another form of resistance to Christian truth comes from individuals unwilling to lose money as their businesses are impacted by Christian values. Alexander is an example of the latter. In this context, Paul invokes the principle of "as a man sows, so shall he reap". Paul's warning is for people to be wary of such individuals. He identifies Alexander as an agent of Satan.B) Moving to a more somber note, Paul mentions in **2 Timothy 4:16** that during his defense, he stood alone as everyone deserted him. He refers to believers who abandoned the cause, leaving him isolated. However, he doesn't wish for the Lord to harm, wound, or punish them. Instead, he pleads for God's mercy upon them, understanding the challenges of ministry work.
 

The David Spoon Experience 9-20-24 part 2

1) Calling all secular progressives, calling all secular progressives. You are hereby put on notice that you are cursed. What? Dr. Spoon, you can’t say something like that. You’re right. I can’t, but God can. And as we examine Jeremiah, chapter 17, we find out that’s exactly the case because people who are secular progressives are people who put their faith in mankind. And the Lord has a very direct response. And no, it doesn't matter what your political views are. 2) We examine a couple of verses in First Peter, chapter 3, to find out that the Lord calls us to brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. If we do this, something takes place. It’s a divine response to our obedience to God’s command. And it comes down to following the Lord, which produces incredible benefits in this life and in the next. 3) We close out our Friday show with yet another DDDD in the Book of Jeremiah. We’re going to find out what it is to be blessed. We’re going to find out what it is to trust, and we’re going to find out what the definition of "is" is. And in all of this learning, we’re going to find out that God is more than just for us within our situations. Let me repeat, we’re going to find out that God is more than just for us. There’s another level of revelation that He brings to us in our situations, and it is more evidence of His awesomeness.
 

The David Spoon Experience 9-20-24 part 1

A) Let's return to 3rd John, picking it up at verse 9. In this small letter, we get a glimpse of the early church. We can already determine that in the first 60 years, there were already people in the church who were difficult to deal with. If anyone thinks that church leadership was much better back then, they haven't read much of their Bible.B) We are now introduced to Diotrephes. After hearing such great things about Gaius, our attention shifts to another leader within the church. Keep in mind that this is a valid church with recognized members, acknowledged by the Apostle John. It is not a cult. John addresses the church both then and now. Not all churches are bad, but not all churches are good, and not all leaders are bad.C) The first statement regarding Diotrephes defines his character as someone who loves to be first. Here’s the simple problem with that: a person who loves to be first does not love to serve; they love to be served. That means the power and authority they acquire are used to benefit themselves. This, of course, is the opposite of how Jesus taught people to function. We have His authority for the benefit of others and for advancing the Kingdom, not ourselves.D) The second mark of a bad leader is that Diotrephes would not accept instructions. Here’s the problem: when a leader, even someone like myself, always feels like they need to be right, no matter the case, there’s an issue. There is only one who is always right all the time, and His name is Jesus. There is no other name to which that can be attributed. We need to be aware that leaders make mistakes, and if the church did a better job of loving them through that, it wouldn’t be so difficult. On the flip side, someone who can’t admit mistakes is just delusional. Fret not; I make a thousand mistakes a day, so in a certain sense, praise the Lord.

The David Spoon Experience 9-19-24 part 2

1) To show you how fast opinions change, they thought that Paul would die, but the fact that he didn’t die made them quickly change their minds and say that he was a god. So he went from a murderer to being a god in one event. That should give a great indication of how stable or unstable people can be. That is why we live by the truth; only the truth is consistent. Be careful going to extremes, even if your name is Billy Joel.2) We are getting closer and closer to finishing the Book of Acts. We are in chapter 28, picking it up at verse 7. After Paul and his company are stranded on an island, the island chief is named Publius. He is exceedingly courteous and feeds all of the marooned sailors and prisoners for three days. Yes, even unsaved people can be kind, but still not saved. 3) But the Lord never forgets, and it turns out that Publius’s father was sick. So Paul goes to his father and prays for him. He lays his hands on him, and the father is healed. One of the more bizarre things about this text is that there is no message that accompanies the gospel in the beginning part. But the influence of the Christian walk is not something we keep hidden. After that, Paul started praying for other sick people on the island, and they were all healed.4) To show appreciation, the people on the island showered all of the visitors with honors, specifically Paul and company. As a result, the island's people helped them prepare for their journey.

The David Spoon Experience 9-19-24 part 1

A) As promised, and with loads of fun, we’re diving back into the Book of Revelation, starting from chapter one, verse eleven. Picking up about halfway through the verse, it says this: "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches." The churches are in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. For reference, these churches form a circle on a map like a Roman postal route, in order. B) Next week, we’re going to spend more time discussing these seven churches, their commendations, criticisms, instructions, and promises. These churches are representative of all churches. Just like any book in the Bible, which is meant to be read by all of us, the letters written to the seven churches were not for them alone but for all of us. C) One of the first significant interpretive keys in Revelation comes right at verse twelve, where John says, "I turned to see the voice that spoke with me." Here is a major point: John knew what Jesus sounded like, but in Revelation, Jesus has a more authoritative presence. John hears something and turns to see what he heard, and to his surprise, it's not what he envisioned Jesus to be. He didn’t recognize it as Jesus at first. How do we know? Because he says it was one "like the Son of Man." D) John then lists ten distinctives of what Jesus looks like. Not only is his voice different, but his appearance is different as well. You might think, and you would be right, that this is probably a little overwhelming for John. But we’re going to cover these different elements that have some form of symbolic connection. Additionally, we should be aware that these descriptions have great similarity to the Book of Daniel. It doesn’t mean you can’t understand it without understanding Daniel—that’s ridiculous. That’s like saying if you pick up the Old Testament, you fully understand the New Testament—not even close. But it is true that the Old Testament helps us, and the New Testament is where the new revelation is. We understand the old through the new. 

The David Spoon Experience 9-18-24 part 2

1) The classics are classics, and there are few better teachings than this one, entitled "The Turtle Wins." It is one of Aesop’s fables and yet strangely biblical. But how can this be? It’s simple. God’s principles predate everything else, even when it comes to the Code of Hammurabi.2) Here’s the bottom line: the Christian journey is not one of absolute straight-up and never twisting. Consider Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, and our example. Born of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and then forced to relocate to Egypt to keep the mission going. This clearly illustrates that there is danger in the pathway.3) But the victory for every Bible-believing, born-again Christian relies on this one principle: perspective. Without it, there is little hope and strength. If we lose the correct vision, we can easily abandon the race. But if we maintain the vision that has been laid out for us by Jesus Christ, we will not allow the deterrents to prevent us from reaching the goal of eternal victory.4) We MUST mature as Christians. That is not to say that you and I are not growing. That is the opposite of the truth. If you are one of His, in one way or another, you and I are growing. BUT…that does not mean that we can lean on our blessed assurance and take no accountability for being engaged in the process. After all, we all said, “Yes, Jesus. Make us more like you.”5) So, while Jesus is answering our prayers, we need to stop whining that He is making us more like Him. The biggest problem is that most of us don’t like His process. But then again, we do proclaim that we call Him Lord. So there is that truth. Yes?

The David Spoon Experience 9-18-24 part 1

A) The profound message that Psalms convey is that even in our darkest moments, there is a ray of hope that emanates from the Son of God Himself. Psalm 55:20 discusses someone who has violated a covenant. This could be a family member or a friend, but it's someone within our trusted circle. This brings to mind the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". B) Indeed, many interpret this as the Antichrist breaking the covenant with Israel, initiating or during the tribulation. However, in context, it pertains to personal betrayal by someone who has made a commitment to you. Recent events have shown that Israel, as a nation, can be easily betrayed. But don't be deceived. Even those who are close allies to us and to the faith can betray us. There is only One who will never fail us.C) Verse 21 cautions us to be wary. Some individuals have a remarkable way with words, their speech as smooth as butter. But remember, let God be true and every man a liar. Beneath those words lies nothing but a desire for conflict and war. This likely has prophetic implications for future encounters with the man of lawlessness, but it also pertains to those who are simply lawless.D) Amidst all these things, we encounter a scripture that is reiterated in the New Testament: "Cast your burden unto the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved." To cast a burden is to throw it off ourselves. The Hebrew word for "to be sustained" is "chewel", which means to maintain, nourish, provide food, hold up, protect, support, and defend. That's what the Lord does for us.

The David Spoon Experience 9-16-24 part 2

1) Let’s dive back into the story at Genesis chapter 8, verse 1. Here, we’re told that God remembered Noah. Now, this isn’t about God having a memory lapse about who Noah was. It’s more about God putting His promise to Noah at the forefront of His divine agenda, ready to take action and help out. And how did He do that? By sending a wind to sweep over the waters. Just imagine that—God commanding the winds to come to our rescue!2) The underground waters stopped their relentless flow, and the flood began to slowly but surely go down. It took about 150 days for this turnaround to kick in, then another 40 days for the waters to keep going down. If we count the original 40 days of rain, we’re looking at around 230 days with water covering the Earth. But hold on, that’s not the end of the story.3) It’s pretty cool to think about what happens next. In verse 5 of chapter 8, we see Noah opening up a window he had made in the ark. He sends out a raven, which flaps around the Earth. He also sends out a dove to look for dry land, but the dove comes back without finding any because there was still too much water. This was Noah’s way of checking if it was safe to leave the ark yet, and God was totally fine with that.4) A week goes by, and Noah tries again with the dove. This time, the dove brings back a fresh olive leaf. That’s Noah’s clue that the water is finally going down. Another week passes, he sends the dove out again, and this time it doesn’t come back. That’s Noah’s sign that it’s all clear. After spending 265 days on the ark, which must have felt like forever, it was time for a fresh start. And isn’t that something we can all relate to? Waiting for the right moment to begin anew.
 

The David Spoon Experience 9-16-24 part 1

A) The David Spoon Experience rock and rolls (our feet on The Rock and our names are on The Roll), with a smash-and-grab of the truth Monday. Dr. Dave jumps into Second Timothy chapter 4, verse 11, and shows a connection to one of the most unpreached verses in the New Testament. The passage reads, "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." B) Dr. Dave goes on to explain that from John Mark's point of view, he had abandoned ministry but needed the opportunity for redemption and restoration. After abandoning both the apostle Paul and Barnabas, his cousin, John Mark became a disciple of Peter and wrote a small little book called the Gospel of Mark. Millions of people became Christians because of his writing. This is the power of redemption and restoration. C) From the apostle Paul’s point of view, what he initially thought was a man who would not be able to live up to ministry was challenged as the evidence and fruit of Mark's ministry became more and more clear. Toward the end of his ministry, Paul recognized the great value that Mark brought to the table for his ministry and for the gospel's sake. People grow, people change. And as we draw closer to the Lord, His ability to work with us to do better becomes evident.

The David Spoon Experience 9-13-24 part 2

1) It’s Friday, and Fridays are known for Dr. Dave’s devotional diamonds of the day. While we’ve had fun and I have almost finished the book of Acts, we’re going to backtrack into a particular section for two of our teachings. These teachings are fantastic if we apply them to our lives and mix them with faith. The first one has to do with how to handle our lives when we’re not sure what’s coming around the corner.2) The next teaching we examine concerns how we approach serving God. Paul is the example, and he provides three different elements that teach us how to serve the Lord God Almighty. Of course, these are not the only characteristics we use when serving the Lord, but these particular qualities show a great sense of maturity in the Christian faith. Remember, we want everything and anything that is profitable for Christians.3) What do ears, rocks, Abraham, and Sarah have to do with one another? What do pursuing righteousness and seeking God have to do with one another? You can probably guess what I’m going to tell you. But the big lesson for heading into the weekend is the understanding that only God can take “one” and turn it into “many.” Only God can take nothing and make it something. And only God can take the bad and make it into something good. The answer, then, is simply…only God.4) Have you ever played the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Yes, many of us have. What do we do? We blindfold the participant, spin them around, give them a pin, and say, push it against the wall. The problem is the person playing the game cannot see. The funny part is the people who can see are laughing because the person can’t see. But this actually has an application to the Christian Walk. Do you ever feel like you are walking with a blindfold on and have no direction? Have I got a message for you!