INTRO STORY: And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies." So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!" So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, died. 1 Samuel 4:1-11 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." 1 Samuel 4:21-22 The lesson from this story is one which applies to us today: WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE TURN FROM HIM WITH A DIVIDED HEART, HE CAN ONLY HAND THEM OVER TO DEFEAT. We have been gazing intently at the Real Jesus Christ that John saw on the isle of Patmos. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. Revelation 1:12-16 This is the Jesus of the last days. This is the Jesus whom we will face one day. He has held the church in His hands all these years, and He has pleaded for us to love Him and love this world with His divine Love. WE WILL ALL FACE THE BEMA When we stand before the "bema" as Romans 14:10, it will be this Jesus Christ we face. We will behold His face shining in full strength, the full strength of His Divine Love. We will be judged by how we measured up to His Love.  We will be judged by whether we loved Him as it suited us or whether we loved with a love that risked it all, that gave all our comforts to Him.  We will be judged as the strength and endurance of our love, whether it endured the trials and testing’s.  We will be judged as to how we compromised our life to the things of this world.  We will be judged as to the strength of our righteousness  We will be judged as to the way we allowed Christ to distinguish our lives from the ungodly.  We will be judged as to whether our love was steadfast to the end.  We will be judged as to whether our love was zealous. But most of all we will be judged as to whether we were conquerors!  Rev 2:7 - the one who conquers will eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God  Rev 2:11 - the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.  Rev 2:17 - the one who conquers will eat the hidden manna, receive a white stone with a new name written on the stone.  Rev 2:26 - the one who conquers and keeps my words til the end I will give authority over the nations and he will get the morning star.  Rev 3:5 - the one who conquers will be clothed in white garments, and Jesus will confess his name before the father and the angels and his name will never be blotted out of the book of life.  Rev 3:12 - the one who conquers will become a pillar in the temple of God, and receive three names , the name of God, the name of t