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                  Feasting in the Presence Of Your Enemy!

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By David Wilkerson
February 28, 2000
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          "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
          mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup
          runneth over" (Psalm 23:5).

          Of all the wonderful promises God gives us in the 23rd
          Psalm, this is one of the most glorious. Think of what
          he is pledging to do for us here: He says he's going to
          set a table for us, spread wonderful food upon it, then
          put on a waiter's apron and serve us a feast. And he
          does all of this in front of our enemies.

          Now, we know when God says he's catering, the dinner
          won't be just any ordinary meal. The word for table in
          this verse means "spread." God isn't speaking of just a
          little plate of food. He's talking about a vast spread
          of goods - a massive feast. He sets before us row upon
          row of delightful heavenly foods, for us to taste and
          eat.

          And there is only one guest at this meal - you. God
          does this wondrous work of preparing, waiting and
          serving for every individual who loves Jesus and calls
          himself by his name.

          Furthermore, to set the atmosphere, God declares that
          this feast is a time for laughter, joy and singing. He
          tells you, "Eat, drink - rejoice and be glad." "A feast
          is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry"
          (Ecclesiastes 10:19).

          Then, as you dine on the sumptuous foods, God anoints
          your head with the oil of gladness. "Thou anointest my
          head with oil" (Psalm 23:5). "God, thy God, hath
          anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
          fellows" (45:7).

          Meanwhile, as God is preparing and serving your feast,
          he makes your enemies sit on the outer fringe of the
          scene and watch everything unfold. They see the Lord
          himself spreading your table with food, escorting you
          to your seat and waiting on you. Then they watch as you
          fill up your soul with heaven's delightful fare. I tell
          you, no demon power, including the devil himself, could
          ever comprehend this kind of love, mercy and grace.

          What an incredible scene - can you picture it? Your
          enemies are in shock. They were sure God was going to
          strike you down for your failures. They were prepared
          to stand over you gloating, as you fell into
          destruction. Yet now they have been ordered to watch as
          you feast on food served by God himself. They're forced
          to observe how the Lord serves you, feeds you and
          anoints you with the oil of joy and gladness.

          Jesus tells us that the father does this for all his
          children: "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord
          when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto
          you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit
          down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke
          12:37).

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                Before We Talk About The Table of the Lord,
                  We Need to Discuss Who Our Enemies Are.

                      -------------------------------

          In biblical terms, there are two kinds of enemies - the
          demonic kind and the human kind. Here in the 23rd
          Psalm, David is referring to demonic enemies. These
          represent the devil and all of his hellish
          principalities and powers.

          According to Jesus, "The enemy is the devil" (Matthew
          13:39). When David speaks of his "strong enemy" in
          Psalm 18, he's talking about the demonic hordes who
          hate him because of his strong walk with the Lord: "He
          delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which
          hated me: for they were too strong for me" (Psalm
          18:17).

          Yet many of our enemies aren't from hell. When Jesus
          tells us to "love our enemies," he certainly isn't
          speaking of the devil and his hordes. He's talking
          about people in your life who have become tools used by
          Satan to make you miserable. It was David's fleshly
          enemies who caused him to cry, "Deliver me, O Lord,
          from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me" (Psalm
          143:9).

          You may have only a few human enemies because you move
          in a small circle. Or, you may have an abundance of
          enemies because your sphere of influence is broader. In
          any case, if you have set your heart to follow Jesus,
          you're going to be an offense to many. And you're going
          to be resisted by both non-believers and fleshly
          Christians alike.

          Moreover, you will be marked as a target by the devil
          and his wicked spirits. Your adversary, the accuser, is
          going to attack you physically and spiritually. And
          he'll stir up trouble for you among your human enemies.

          In this sense, the Lord's supernatural feast becomes
          even more amazing - because both classes of enemies
          have to sit by and watch as the Lord serves you. On one
          side are the devil and his hordes, and on the other are
          all your earthly enemies. And in the midst of them, the
          Lord is pouring out his oil of gladness upon you.

          On the demonic side, the devil rages because he thought
          he surely had you. And on the human side, God heaps
          your enemies with shame. His word says of the
          righteous, "His enemies will I clothe with shame: but
          upon himself shall his crown flourish" (Psalm 132:18).
          God is saying, in essence, "Your fleshly enemies
          thought you were finished. But now they can only gaze
          in wonder as I feed and bless you."

          As you dig into the glorious food before you, the Lord
          leans down and whispers in your ear, "You don't have to
          worry about any of these enemies. They aren't able to
          do anything against you." "They intended evil against
          thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they
          are not able to perform" (21:11).

          Indeed, God gives you every divine assurance. And
          finally, you are able to sing: "Now shall mine head be
          lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore
          will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I
          will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord"
          (27:6).

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           God Spreads This Table for You Not Just in Your Times
           Of Victory, But Especially In Your Times of Failure.

                      -------------------------------

          The Puritans often used the phrase "surprised by sin."
          This refers to those times when you don't expect to sin
          - but suddenly the enemy comes in like a flood, and
          you're overwhelmed. Something overcomes you - an old
          lust or habit you thought you'd conquered - and you end
          up falling.

          You quickly repent, grieving and sorrowing over your
          sin. But then you get down on yourself, wallowing in
          guilt and confusion. You think, "How could I allow this
          to happen again?" And when you try to enter God's
          presence, you feel ashamed and embarrassed. You tell
          yourself, "I need some space from the Lord while I try
          to figure this out. I've got to make it up to him
          somehow. I've got to prove to him I didn't mean to do
          it."

          This is when your accuser, the devil, pounces on you
          like a hungry lion. He brings to your mind every
          scripture concerning God's hatred for sin. He reminds
          you of biblical warnings about sinning against the
          light. And he recalls to you God's displeasure with all
          those who fell in the Old Testament. Then he whispers
          to you:

          "Look at how God lifted his Spirit from all of these
          others who fell. And now you've sinned in the same way.
          He has removed his Spirit from your life completely.
          You're a phony, a hypocrite - you don't practice what
          you preach. And when you stand on judgment day, your
          own words are going to condemn you."

          Beloved, the devil never knows the outcome of any
          Christian's failure. He doesn't know how you're going
          to react after you fail, or how God will respond to
          your sin. In fact, Satan's greatest fear is that you
          will run straight to God's mercy and forgiveness.

          So the enemy does everything in his power to keep you
          from understanding the covenant promises. He wants to
          bring you back under the law, where your conscience
          will condemn you. He wants you to be convinced you have
          to pay for your failure. He wants to see you wallow in
          grief, trying to earn your way back into God's favor.

          No - that is never what the Lord intends for the
          repentant heart. You see, just when you think you
          deserve his wrath and chastening, God calls you to a
          feast. And as your enemies settle back to watch you
          suffer under judgment, the Lord surprises them - and
          you - by feeding you from his table. That is how God
          treats his repentant children.

          Here is an example: Consider a church elder - a godly
          man who prays daily, searches God's word, honors his
          wife and is a loving father. This man's past
          transgressions are all under the blood of Christ. His
          once quick temper has been conquered by the power of
          the Holy Spirit. And now this kind, thoughtful,
          considerate man moves in the wisdom of God.

          But one day the enemy comes against him like a flood.
          The man has a horrible day at his job, and as he leaves
          the office his mind is harassed. He tries to pray
          during the drive home, thinking, "Lord, I just want to
          get home, lie down on the couch and thank you that this
          day is over."

          Meanwhile, at home, his wife has had a bad day also.
          Everything has gone wrong, and the children have been
          out of control. Now she's uptight as she waits for her
          husband to come home and deal with the unruly kids.

          So, as soon as this harassed man walks through the
          door, his wife runs up to him and begins to unload
          about all the problems that day. He is too overwhelmed
          to listen, however - and he tells her he doesn't want
          to hear about it. Now she becomes even more frustrated.
          They begin to argue - and suddenly a dam bursts. In an
          instant, they're shouting, name-calling, pushing each
          other's buttons. They exchange ugly words meant to cut
          and hurt.

          Then, out of nowhere, the man snaps. He spews out a
          torrent of angry words - including a curse word. His
          wife steps back, aghast. She says, "Oh, so that's how a
          man of God speaks to his wife? That's the talk of a
          church elder, a man everybody thinks is so holy? What a
          phony."

          In anger, the man turns and storms out the door.
          Outside, however, he is shaken and wounded, his soul
          overcome with shame and godly sorrow. He begins to cry
          out within, "Oh, God - where did that come from? My
          heart must be so wicked. Now I'm taking out all my
          frustrations on my family."

          Even the godliest Christian is surprised by
          overwhelming, unexpected situations like this one. And
          sometimes it happens to us right after we experience
          great victories. Like Adam, we want to hide from God.
          We think he's angry with us and that Satan has gained a
          foothold in our lives. Then, in our confusion, we fall
          into the rut of Romans 7: "That which I hate, I did.
          And that which I hoped to do, I failed to carry out."

          Suddenly we think, "How can I even consider ministering
          to anyone, when I'm so wicked? Oh, God - how long will
          it take for me to get this dirt off my hands and feel
          holy again?"

          That is the very moment the Lord beckons us, "Come to
          the feast. You don't need time away from me. Sit down
          and taste of my mercy. I want you feasting at my table,
          in the presence of your enemies."

                      -------------------------------

                     What Is God's Attitude Toward His
                 Children When They Are Overtaken by Sin?

                      -------------------------------

          Jesus answers this question in the parable of the
          prodigal son. This runaway young man was overcome by
          sin, spending all his resources on his lusts. He ended
          up in virtual bondage, having to eat swine's food. And
          he thought, "I've sinned so badly, I can never be
          accepted by my father as before. Surely I have to pay
          for this somehow."

          The prodigal's fears kept him from returning to his
          father. Yet, in truth, his father was never angry with
          him. That godly man simply yearned for his son's
          return. Finally, when the prodigal was in the pit of
          despair, feeling the full impact of his failure, he
          thought of the abundance of his father's house. And, in
          desperation, he returned home.

          What was the father's response? He ran out to meet his
          son - embracing him, kissing his neck and forgiving
          him, with no questions asked. Scripture tells us, "The
          father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe,
          and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and
          shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf,
          and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry" (Luke
          15:22-23).

          Here, in Jesus' own words, we see the heavenly father's
          attitude toward his children: Immediately after we
          fail, our Lord serves us a feast and anoints us with
          the oil of gladness. You see, God looks on the heart -
          and the very moment he hears our heart cry out for
          forgiveness, he spreads the table for us. He tells us,
          "Don't run from me. Don't wallow in the devil's pigpen,
          accepting his lies. I love you - now, come and see what
          I have prepared for you."

          The first blessing you will find on your plate is
          immediate and unconditional forgiveness. "If we confess
          our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
          sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1
          John 1:9). As soon as we repent, God ends the whole
          matter of our sin. He drops all charges against us and
          casts our transgression out of his sight completely.

          Furthermore, he doesn't want to hear any more about our
          sin. He says, in essence, "I'm over it - now, you get
          over it. I don't hold anything against you. I've buried
          it all. Now, rejoice in my salvation, mercy and grace.
          Be glad in it all."

          Once we have accepted the father's forgiveness, he
          invites us to feast on every item listed on his menu:
          grace, mercy, kindness, tenderheartedness, compassion,
          unmerited love, peace, rest, joy, happiness, fresh
          springs of Holy Ghost renewal.

          Talk about experiencing the glory of God. Just when you
          expect judgment and retribution, the Lord invites you
          to a feast of his mercy and grace. "Thou, Lord, art
          good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto
          all them that call upon thee" (Psalm 86:5). "Great is
          thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul
          from the lowest hell" (verse 13).

          I know what it is like to expect God's judgment to
          break out on me after I have failed. I wonder, "Will
          there be an attack on my body? Is one of my children
          going to suffer? Will my wife succumb to illness again?
          God, where are you going to strike me for what I've
          done?"

          Yet immediately, the Lord spreads a great feast for me
          in the presence of my enemies. Who are my enemies in
          this case? They are devilish foes of fear, depression,
          confusion, inner turmoil, satanic lies. Therefore, I
          quickly repent, laying hold of God's covenant promises.
          And I remind myself, "David, you don't have to weep to
          prove you're sorry. All you need to do is confess,
          repent and stand on your father's word. Then go to the
          feast and rejoice in the presence of all your enemies."

          So I sit at the Lord's table, and my shepherd Jesus
          serves me. He restores my soul by feeding me his mercy,
          forgiveness and tender loving kindness. Then he makes
          me lie down by still waters and shows me scripture
          after scripture about his love. I feel the grace of God
          sweep over my soul. And tears of rejoicing wash away
          all my guilt, fears and anxieties.

          As this incredible blessing takes place, my enemies are
          forced to sit by and watch, utterly defeated. And
          finally, I hear them whisper, "He has learned the
          secret - he is trusting in God's promises. Let's move
          on."

                      -------------------------------

                       Let's Focus Now on Feasting in
                      the Presence Of Human Enemies.

                      -------------------------------

          The promise of Psalm 23 covers both kinds of enemies,
          demonic and human. And the Lord wants us to feast even
          before our human enemies - people who have become tools
          of Satan to harass us.

          Let me illustrate with an example from a letter our
          ministry received. A dear Christian woman writes of her
          troubled marriage with her unsaved husband. This man
          feels condemned by his wife's holy life. So lately he
          has become abusive toward her, harassing her and
          calling her names.

          One day recently, the husband came home drunk. In a
          rage, he pinned his wife against the wall and yelled in
          her face, "You Jesus freak - you're crazy. I'm tired of
          your preaching. I don't want to hear another word.
          You're no better than I am." He went on and on, in
          hellish language, bringing endless accusations against
          her.

          Slowly, an anger rose up in the woman. Everything
          within her wanted to react, naming all of her husband's
          mean actions toward her. But instead, she closed her
          eyes and prayed silently, "Holy Spirit, help me."

          The grace of God poured over her - and she was filled
          with supernatural peace. She merely looked at her
          husband tenderly, saying nothing. When he saw that she
          wasn't going to react, he let her go and stomped out,
          parking in front of the TV. Meanwhile, she quietly went
          about her housework with peace and joy in her heart.
          She was feasting at the Lord's table - feeding on the
          grace, patience and hope God had spread for her.

          Maybe you're enduring a stressful situation on your
          job. Perhaps your coworkers have betrayed you,
          gossiping and lying about you to your boss. You spend
          your days grieving over the cruel ways they have hurt
          you.

          Dear saint, Jesus is calling you to feast in the
          presence of your enemies. He's reminding you that even
          in the worst situation, you can run to God's covenant
          promise, "No weapon formed against you will prosper."
          Your father is already spreading a table for you - and
          he wants to fill you up with his grace and compassion.

                      -------------------------------

                         It Is Possible to Miss The
                      Lord's Table Through Unbelief.

                      -------------------------------

          When Israel came out of Egypt, they missed all the
          feasts God had prepared for them. You see, after their
          deliverance, God commanded them to keep the feast of
          unleavened bread every year in the promised land. This
          meant that for six days they were to eat unleavened
          bread - and on the seventh day they were to hold a
          feast.

          God planned several other feasts for Israel as well -
          wonderful times for the whole nation to rejoice in the
          Lord, enjoy his presence and receive his anointings.
          Their tables were to be laden with good things - milk,
          honey, oil, grapes, grains, meats.

          One of these celebrations was to be a feast of first
          fruits. "Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which
          the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine
          house" (Deuteronomy 26:11). The Lord was telling his
          people, "I want you to rejoice over everything I have
          given you. This is a time for you to laugh, sing and
          remember."

          Also, Moses instructed Israel's leaders to celebrate
          the Passover Feast. This feast was meant to be a time
          of teaching for their children: "Thou shalt shew thy
          son in that day, saying, This is done because of that
          which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of
          Egypt" (Exodus 13:8). Every father was to tell his son,
          "This feast is all about celebrating our deliverance.
          We're rejoicing because God set us free from Egypt."

          With every feast, the Lord told Israel, "Rejoice - be
          glad and sing." The feasts were all meant to be
          healing, freeing celebrations of God's covenant loving
          kindness toward his people.

          Yet scripture records only one feast being observed in
          the wilderness. That feast occurred on the first
          anniversary of Israel's deliverance from Egypt. After
          that, the commanded feasts apparently were forgotten.

          This is not what God intended for his people. His plan
          was for them to reside in the promised land, where they
          would have all manner of resources to hold the feasts.
          But because of Israel's sin, they remained in the
          wilderness. And their only resources were the manna God
          sent from heaven and a small amount of corn they
          brought with them from Egypt.

          Can you imagine what an Israelite child must have
          thought during the one feast that Israel celebrated? He
          had lived on manna morning, noon and night all his
          life. And now, as the feast is being held, he sees more
          manna being served. So he asks his father, "Dad, what's
          this celebration about?"

          His father answers, "It is the feast of unleavened
          bread, son. We're celebrating our deliverance from
          Egypt. This is a time to rejoice over the freedom God
          gave us."

          The boy is puzzled. Rejoice over deliverance? All he
          has ever heard from his parents has been murmuring,
          complaining and unbelief. And on several occasions he
          has seen them sneak into their tents to worship the
          little idols they smuggled out of Egypt.

          So the boy asks his father, "Do you call this
          deliverance? What are we supposed to rejoice over - the
          dry desert? All we've ever experienced is the boring
          old sameness of things. Why do we have to feast on more
          of this manna? Why aren't we living where all the good
          things are?"

          Sadly, Israel continually failed to observe the Lord's
          feasts. Scripture tells us, "We see that they could not
          enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).

          I wonder how many teenagers today see only unbelief in
          an older generation that testifies of being delivered
          from sin. How many kids in Christian homes are saying,
          "Dad, Mom - you call this deliverance? There's no
          rejoicing in our family. Our home is full of turmoil
          and fighting. And all I ever hear is complaining and
          gossip. This place is like a funeral parlor."

          No wonder so many teenagers today don't serve the Lord.
          Their parents are still wandering in the wilderness.
          They have never entered into the covenant promises of
          God. They don't know what it means to rejoice, because
          they never go to the feast.

          Do you lead a life of spiritual stagnation? Are you
          always burdened down - living one day at a time, ever
          fearful, never truly enjoying your walk with the Lord?
          Let me ask you - aren't you tired of it all? Don't you
          ever say to yourself, "I know Jesus saved me and that I
          have been changed. So, why don't I enjoy his feast?
          Where is my anointing with the oil of gladness?"

          You have to take a step of faith. Don't stagger at
          God's promises to you. Lay hold of them - and be fully
          persuaded that what he has promised, he is able to
          perform. The Holy Ghost responds only to faith. He
          doesn't respond to your river of tears or your promises
          to do better. Those may be a part of your repentance.
          But only faith brings the Lord's response. Faith moves
          him to action, bringing to your life his very glory.

          So, accept your father's love and forgiveness. You have
          a right to the feast - and no demon in hell can rob you
          of it. Believe God's word to you - and let him seat you
          at his heavenly table.

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771, USA.

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