Cranbrook 1993 10-5-93 Pm Tape 2 — George Warnock

God's Judgment, Mercy, and the Humbling of Nations

This is what Nebuchadnezzar did. We got our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravaged the women in Zion and the maids in the cities of Judah.

Princes are hung up by their hand. The faces of elders were not honored. They took the young men to grind and the children fell under the wood. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.

The joy of our heart has ceased, our dance has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe unto me that we have sinned. Jeremiah says it's because we have sinned, speaking on behalf of Israel.

And Jeremiah did it. I mean, Nebuchadnezzar, and God was able to humble him. He used him to humble Israel. Bring them to their knees. And then God said, I can deal with him. And he humbled them. So I don't doubt that God put the president there in view of the judgment that is coming.

And therefore to uphold him, not because of what he's doing, but in spite of it. And if for a chance God would have mercy in the time of his wrath. Because the prophets, it's the prayer of the prophets, Lord in wrath remember mercy.

In wrath remember mercy. And when he went to see Clinton, he says, Mr. Clinton, when I heard of your policies, he says, I was totally shocked. God told me to give you a message. Now, Rick Joyner, I think it's very probable that he puts it all together and interprets it, you know, in a way that maybe is wrong.

And there's a danger in doing that, I think. When the prophecy comes forth, I don't think we should get together and try and figure it out or analyze it more. Because when it happens, it's generally very different to what we imagined.

Prophetic Warnings and Trouble Coming to Canada

And the real trouble up where we are too, I mean, I can see it brewing. The prophet whom I recognize is a valid prophet. He said there's a holocaust coming for Canada. Couldn't see how it could happen when it came forth, but I can see it now.

Unrest, one province wants to separate. It's like if California and Oregon decided we're going to separate. You know the effect it would have on the whole country. And the native people want self-government.

And in places where they've had a taste of self-government, it generally hasn't worked. A lot of suffering. And many of the native people don't want it, but they're listening to the leaders. And I can see how troubled they've been.

God's got a strong native church in Canada and in the States. There's a strong native church. And I believe God's going to move my faith along. I just take it for granted there's great trouble coming.

As well as in ours. As this prophet said, dig deep and hide in the rock. Because God's going to have a place for his people. We talk about, you know, the church doesn't get raptured right away. It goes through the tribulation, becomes a doctrine.

Sometimes it becomes a doctrine like, no, I believe in free tribulation. No, I don't. I believe we're going through it. And so it's a doctrine. If we know we're going through trouble, we better be sure of it.

I don't mean to be survivalist in any sense of the word. Because God's disciples are not survivalists. Trying to survive. Trying to run to the mountain and dig a hole in the rock. And store up food and water.

I mean, God's disciples do what God says. And if he says, stay here in Huntsville, where there's a danger of being blown up, just stay. But by the same token, if you're walking with God, he could say some evening, get in your cars and go somewhere.

Obedience to God as the Believer's Safety

And we've got to have that communion with God. Oh, we have to go back here. Our safety is not in our armaments. And God's going to demonstrate that to this powerful nation. As he demonstrated in Soviet Russia.

That just almost overnight, the thing collapsed. In its present form, we don't know if it could rise up again as a threat to the world. And here they are in great trouble. And we look on, and it's a point of interest to see what's going on there.

But you ever imagine that things like that could happen here? I think of Jeremiah, you know, warning and warning and warning the people. And refusing to defend. The elders come to him, and they sat before him to inquire of the Lord.

Jeremiah says, I won't be inquired of by you. The elders of Israel. God's complaint in America. Not with the judicial system, but with the president. Any of these governors, God puts them there. I don't care how you vote.

I've said that many times, and I know people think I'm crazy. I don't care how you vote. God's going to put a man there that's compatible with the hearts of the people in the nation. They are the ministers of God.

That doesn't mean you do everything they say. You might have to resist them.

And we have examples in the scriptures throughout the ages of how to deal with ungodly ways. Like Daniel, you know, dealing with Nebuchadnezzar. He was humble, meek, and respected the authority and truth from God.

And yet, at the same time, spiritualism, and so on. You know, Paul before King of Britain. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You know, all kings live forever. But yet, and still, they will not bow down.

So, we have those examples all through the scriptures to respect the authority. And to respect human beings. Because they are an image of God. But yet, we have a God beyond there. And not to rail against dignity.

Even against Satan. I mean, you ought to rail against it. Michael, the archangel, the captain of the hosts of the Lord, would not dare rail against Satan. But Sid, the Lord rebuked him. There, once again, in office, they're subject to the mind of God.

Spiritual Discernment and the Church's Relationship to Political Power

You can't change the mind of God. But a people who live in the spirit will sense what God wants. And pray and for it. It happened during World War II. Many times. Praying people for it. What Hitler is about to do.

Change his mind. And made him attack Russia instead of Britain. If he had attacked Britain, the whole situation could have been different. God does that. I'm looking for the time when there will be a church.

A church in the earth. In this nation. Non-political. I've read Gerald Dawson's writings. And boy, he's against anybody. What are you going to do if this happens? And if this happens? And if this happens?

Are you going to sit by and do nothing? I'm not saying do nothing. I'm saying I don't care what you do. You're not going to change anything. Until you're in a vital relationship with the King of Kings.

The Lord of Lords. Then you can do anything God wants you to do. Not that we haven't got enough Christians around in governmental places. Because we don't have authority with the King of Kings. The Lord of Lords.

Because we don't have that, well, we owe. We've got to get the right governor. The right president. And God isn't doing it. God's shown the church in America. He's doing what he's going to do according to his plan.

And that he's there because of the state of the nation. And therefore, and particularly the state of the church. Particularly because of the state of the church. It should be. The state of the church.

Confession, Identification, and Priestly Ministry

And not always to think that the church out there and we're different. But, you know, when you read Jeremiah, read Lamentations. We have sinned. Daniel says we have sinned. We have disobeyed. A true prophet and a true priest of the Lord will identify himself with the people to whom he ministers.

They have sinned. Well, Daniel didn't sin. But in his prayer, we have sinned. He's identified with them. So is Moses identified. True priestly ministry is the church. I mean, I know we can't find fellowship there.

So we meet here. That's right. Yes, that's right. But it doesn't mean that we're all functioning that way. Like I've been trying to emphasize, we read a scripture. Oh, we're all kings and priests. Fine.

But there's more to being a king and priest than having the title. Nadab and Abihu were priests of God. They were sons of Aaron. Upon them would come the ministry of the priesthood. When Aaron died, one of them would become the high priest.

They were priests unto God, along with Eliezer and Ephemar. Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's four sons. God said they'll come into the holy place and minister unto me. But when Nadab and Abihu decided, well, my father goes in there and offers up fire.

We're priests. Let's go in there and offer up fire to the Lord. And they did. And fire came out from the presence of God and consumed them right on the spot. You don't need to boast I'm a priest as if you can do anything you want.

If there's anything that's significant about the priesthood is that they're confined and restricted. Far more so than the people of Israel. They're confined and they're restricted to the way of God and to the plan of God and to the purpose of God.

Restricted to that. And so, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them. Because, the Bible says, because they did, they offered fire which the Lord had not commanded. Simple as that.

The Lord hadn't told them to do it. So, everybody in the church is a king and priest. And all the evangelists and prophets and apostles and teachers and pastors, they're kings and priests unto God thinking they can do anything they want.

No, because I'm an apostle, I can do this. I'm a prophet, I've got a right to do this. There's a higher ministry than an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. And that's the ministry of priesthood.

And it's not another ministry. These ministries are supposed to be that. Whether you be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. The overall ministry of all God's people is priestly ministry and it's higher than those offices.

So, it's wonderful when you see an apostle who's a true priest for a particular prophet. Prophet, yeah. Priest. His concern was for the people. He wasn't out to prove that his prophecies were right. I mean, he just prophesied the word of the Lord.

One occasion he prophesied the word of the Lord as God sent him to reprove Israel. And the man fell dead. Ezekiel was shot and cried out to God for mercy. How many prophets would cry out to God for mercy?

It scares me when I see some of these mighty men. I haven't seen him, but I heard about this man. Somebody was doing something he didn't like and he says, For that! Down he falls on the floor. Oh, what a mighty man of God.

Where's the priestly ministry? He might have power. Where's the priestly part? Jesus said, Lord. God said, I'll have to destroy this nation. It's all right, Moses. I'll still fulfill my word. I'll still fulfill my word.

I'll make you to be the head of the great nation. And I'll make you to be a greater nation than Israel. I'll wipe them out and I'll make you to be the great nation. Moses wouldn't have it. He was an opportunist.

Searching the Heart for Pride and Hidden Sin

Is that priestly heart in us? Is it in the leadership in the church today? He's failed, but I'll wipe him out and I'll exalt you. God, search our hearts. Look deeply within. Uncover the secret motives, attitudes, intentions of the heart.

That's why David was a man after God's heart. Because he didn't only search his heart like you and I do. I search my heart and this is what I find. But he says, God, search me and know me. Try me and know my thoughts.

Search me out, Lord, because there could be things there that I'm not aware of. See if there be any wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting. God's after the heart, the right heart. We're out looking for some way to enlarge our ministry, make it successful, make it to be approved.

Longing to be accepted. Longing to have power and authority. Searching God for it, seeking God for it. Really, that's what I fasted and prayed for. Because brought up in Pentecost, you're not Pentecostal because you have the power of God.

And I didn't have it. Sought for power. Innocently. And yet I prayed even while I was seeking it. Lord, don't give me any kind of power or authority until you know I'm ready, able to receive it. I still pray that.

And if necessary, let me die praying it. I don't want to have a power if I'm not ready to handle it. Some of you know what I'm talking about. You look around and you see people that have great power. Brother was telling me, why isn't it?

Use mightily of God. Tremendous miracles, tremendous ministry, tremendous results. Yet this happened. We don't understand it. I understand it. I think we should all understand it if we read the scriptures.

Spiritual Gifts, Pride, and the Weeds of the Heart

That having the power of God and having all the gifts of the spirit and great manifestation does not make a man spiritual forever. It can do the very opposite. It can do the opposite. Having a great manifestation of the gifts of the spirit and the power of God in our lives can do the very opposite of God's intention.

It ought to humble us and bring us down and make us meek and lowly. If the heart is prepared of God, but if the heart isn't prepared, it can do just the opposite. It can build up pride, conceive self, establish the human ego.

Those gifts from God can do it. Doesn't God send forth from his heart every good gift from himself? Isn't it all good that comes from God? Yes, James said that. But I'm talking about the effect it has on the unprepared heart.

Longing for the rain, isn't it? Isn't it good? Yes. There's a wrong seed there. Well, it won't affect that. It'll cause that wrong seed to burst open and sprout and grow. The rain from heaven. God's precious rain from heaven will nurture the weeds, the tares, the thistles, as well as nurturing the wheat and the barley and the flax.

I never saw that, and I really got it because of something that William Branham said many years ago. Before he went out in ministry, the Lord told him to go to a certain place and observe. And as he observed, the Lord pointed out a man.

Vibrant, enthusiastic, praising God. He says to look at him, he was just like another brother that the Lord pointed out. Doing the same thing. He says they look similar. Very bright, vibrant, loving the Lord, praising him, hands raised, whatever they do at any cost.

And the Lord said, this man's heart is right. He loves me. He's got a pure heart. That man's heart is totally clean. God spoke to him about Hebrews 6, and I never forgot that. Hebrews 6. For the earth which drinketh in the rain, verse 7, cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs made for them by whom it is dressed, to receive a blessing from God.

The earth drinketh in the rain, cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth vegetables, fruit suitable for those, intended for those, by whom it is dressed, to receive a blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned.

And I hadn't noticed until I heard him say this, that it's a result of the rain in even days. Is it not? He said, oh, God's blessing couldn't do that. It can. God's blessing can blind the heart. Blessing me.

I can talk in tongues. I can prophesy. I can heal the sick. I've seen it. I've seen it happening. Oh, I could name different ones. A mighty ministry. And their hearts were not right. And I'm not judging whether or not they repented in the end, or if they were hypocrites from the start.

I have to leave all that. But this one man had me visit his church. I was there for a few days. And he'd be around laying hands on people and prophesying. He had a big church, a couple of thousand people.

And then I heard later that things weren't quite right. And I didn't know for sure. I hoped it wasn't so. Finally, one man came to me. He says, you get out of this city and never come back. You come back, you'll be put in jail.

I mean it. He had reason for saying that. The man disappeared. He knew what this was all about. The next thing I heard two or three years later, he was gone. I'm mad. 150 of them. It's unbelievable, really.

Of course, we've heard of other things. Gone on. We ponder. How can that be? We shouldn't ponder it anymore. The rain comes down from heaven and waters the weeds that are there as well as the good seed.

And our prayer should be like that. Lord, search me. Know me. Try me. That I might know where to pluck up these weeds that are growing. I might pluck up those thistles that are growing up. Those things that could ruin my ministry.

Search me and know me. Try me. Know my heart. We don't like to pray that. Lord, try me. We feel we've had enough of it. But God wants to try people that he can bestow upon them fullness of his presence.

Christ's Anointing and the Necessity of the Wilderness

People will go forth in the image and likeness of Jesus. Jesus went down into the Jordan and John baptized him. And he came up out of the water. And John saw the holy dove descend upon him and remain upon him.

So it wasn't just a passing experience. It abode upon him. The blessed Holy Spirit and the voice from heaven said, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And he went into the synagogue of Nazareth and opened the book.

Word was written in Isaiah, the spirit of the Lord God is upon him because he has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, unto the poor, to open the prison doors and set the captive free and so forth.

But I didn't mention one thing. And I purposely left it out to show that God had anointed and imbued him with the Holy Spirit that he might go forth and heal the sick and raise the dead and cast out devils.

And set the prisoner free and preach the gospel of the kingdom with power. But before God allowed him to do that, he drove him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And I don't hear much of that in these great ministries that have come forth.

And I ask myself the reason. Did God give them that opportunity? Did God want them to go into that wilderness? Did he make them to know that he wanted them to go into that wilderness? Or did they somehow just ignorantly get this great power and feel they didn't need the wilderness?

Was God seeking to leave them there and they thought it was the voice of the devil? I've got the power of God now. The power of God doesn't do that. I don't know. I have no idea. But I do know that that's the reason they fall.

The reason any of us could fall, will fall, if we haven't known the dealings of the Lord in the wilderness experiences. In 40 nights he was tempted of the devil. There with the wild beasts. I believe they were literal beasts, but I don't doubt they were beasts of a satanic nature also.

Running around, trying to terrify him. And the tempter came to him. After 40 days he was a hungry. The tempter came to him and said, Will thou turn this stone into bread? You're hungry? Take this stone.

You're hungry? Turn it into bread. Why would that be a temptation? If a man's hungry and he hears a voice saying, Well, don't you realize you've got a gift of miracles? You could pick up that stone there and make bread out of it.

What's worse? What's more wicked? Would you say it would be wicked to turn a stone into bread? Or to turn water into wine? Would there be any difference in it? Any difference really? To turn water into wine for a wedding feast?

Or to turn a stone into bread if you're hungry? I wouldn't see any difference in it. Then what was the difference? The Father did not tell him to turn the stone into bread. Nadab and Abihu offered up fire which the Lord commanded not.

God hadn't told them to do it. The priesthood is under restriction. To do only what God says. It's under that restraint. Confined. The priesthood is confined to the will of God. Confined to the sanctuary in the days of their ministration.

Because they took turns in Israel. The ministration of the priest took turns. When the time came that there would be courses of ministry. I believe there's twelve courses in the year. So their course was at a certain time.

And they were confined to the sanctuary. And somehow the thought is liberty. If you've got power from God. You're a priest unto God and you've got the anointing. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

And we pervert the meaning of liberty in the things of God. As if liberty meant doing anything you want. The liberty to do God's will. Not to do anything you want. It's freedom to do God's will. I mean, we're finding difficulty in doing God's will.

Because I'm not sure. God wants to bring us into a liberty where we'll be free to do what he says. Because you'll hear his voice clearly. So that was the test. You're the son of God. Because I'm a son of God, am I going to do these wonderful miracles?

Christ's Kingdom, Authority, and Rule in the Midst of Enemies

That seems to be the concept. What's going to happen when God manifests his son? They'll just overthrow everything on the earth. They'll just go forth in power and might. Just wreck all the kingdoms of darkness.

I mean, just devastating everything that's not of God. Is Jesus doing it in the heavens? King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Has all power in heaven and earth to do it. But God said, rule in the midst of your enemy.

For how long, Father? Perhaps he doesn't know. He might know now, but on earth he didn't even know when he was coming back. But the point is this. He has all power in heaven and on earth. But he knows he has to await the day of his power.

So for 2 ,000 years he's been ruling in might and power over the universe and over all nations. And I know a lot of people don't believe that. They believe he's coming back to Jerusalem to reign. And I read where he tells, sit at the Father's right hand till all enemies are subdued under his feet.

And I speak as the church. And that the kingdom of God doesn't come with observation. But it's planted in the earth and grows. And at the end of the kingdom, he says, the end time is the harvest. The kingdom, the messianic kingdom that they talk so much about and that Jesus came to establish was not delayed 2 ,000 years.

He set it up when he sent it into the heavens and sent it at God's right hand. He could have set it up on earth, and that's what they wanted. That's what everybody expected he would do. The people said it would be glorious when he comes back and sets it up on the earth.

He went away so that he'd have a power over the earth and over the heavens because that's where our real problems are. Principalities and powers in the heavens. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit at my right hand till all enemies are under your feet.

Quoted from the New Testament or referred to eight or ten times as what happened when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Far above all principality and power and might and dominion in every name that is named and hath put all things under his feet, all things under himself until the time would come when God would say, subdue the last enemy which is death.

So that hasn't been subdued yet. So we know that there are many other enemies that haven't been subdued yet. But little by little through the church age, there has been a manifestation of the power of the king of kings and who rules in the heavens, ruling in the middle of his enemies.

But the thing is he had to learn obedience. He had to learn the voice of the Father. He wasn't here, he didn't have this power just to do wonderful things. He was under constraint, he was a priest of God and he was under constraint to do the Father's will.

He wouldn't turn the stone into bread because the Father hadn't told him to do it. He could have done it, but you see a great miracle. How could a man do a great miracle like that unless he had the power of God?

Probably he couldn't. But what was he supposed to do? Solomon thinks that God will give a man great power, will give a prophet great power and he can abuse that power and use it for wrong purposes. He was in Brown once and he says, mind you, I'm just speaking to you as a friend, I'm an older brother than you.

He says, you've got to do what God says. He says, if any prophet tells you to do something or he says, if I tell you to do something, you've still got to know the voice of God yourself and do that. He said, a prophet can be wrong.

And then he said something I've pondered over ever since. He says, Elisha was wrong when he cursed the young people that came out and made fun of him. He wouldn't have done that. But I mean, he was saying, a prophet can be wrong.

And the greatest prophet of this century said, a prophet can be wrong. I mean, a prophet can be wrong. We know that Jonah was wrong. God corrected him. So God helps us to know that the power he gives is not a release to use it as we will.

Love, Discernment, and True Spiritual Authority

It's like God is showing us these things because he wants to lay upon his church the whole presence of God by which we can do anything God wants us to do. But unless our wills are so constrained and so broader the dominion of the Holy Spirit, we ourselves will do wrong things to our own sorrow and to the sorrow of the church.

We've seen it happen. It's learned from what we've observed. Wondering, how could it happen? Maybe they were right. I mean, God's given us understanding to know it's not right. Stand before the people and say, is this thing recorded?

Is it? Send in this money. Send in this money or God's going to take people. Surely if we have a little bit of discernment we know that God doesn't speak that way. Christian people send in the money. Keep it going.

God wants us to understand. In love, understand. Let us love him so much that we'll have true discernment. Because I've discovered that love comes out of... Out of love will come true discernment. Paul says, I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, which means discernment.

I pray that your love will abound more and more in knowledge and discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent. Oh, let us pursue love. Let that always be our pursuit, no matter what other area we're talking about.

Let the love of God be our pursuit. The real love. I don't mean the sloppy thing that, you know, if nothing matters, everything goes because of love. Because love is strong. Love is enduring. Love is patient.

Love is kind. Love will lead you to discernment. And I couldn't understand that until I suddenly realized that you may approve the things that are excellent, that your love may abound more and more, that you might, in knowledge and discernment, be able to approve things that are excellent.

To me, very simply, as we love God and he loves us, and that's what I mean. Jesus prayed that, I pray, Father, that the love that thou hast given me may be in them, that they may be one. I've made known unto them thy name, and will make it known that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

The love that wherewith you've loved me may be in them. So it's God's love. And Paul says, let that love abound more and more so that we'll be able to approve the things that are excellent, that we'll have discernment.

What's love got to do with it? Well, if we have God's love, we have that heart of God. And we'll love what he loves. And we'll hate what he hates. Simple as that. Jesus loved righteousness and hated iniquity because the Father's love was in him.

The Father's heart was in him. He loved what the Father loved. He hated what the Father hated. He had discernment to see them. When he saw the proud heart, because of the love of the Father in him, he hated that pride.

When he saw evil, he was filled with God's love. Love hates evil. Love's righteousness. And so we can't go wrong. You can go wrong if you have a gift of discernment where someone says, that man's heart's corrupt.

You can go wrong. I know a prophet that went very, very wrong because he was a prophet and he had that kind of discernment. And it awed people to think that he had that. First thing you know, he had a cult.

It wasn't for the fact that he got in trouble with the law. It might still have been going, but his heart was not. Hardness. But a heart that's truly motivated by the love of God will have true discernment.

So that when you see those things, some of which I mentioned and I trust it will be received in the right way. I'm not trying to criticize. I'm just using an illustration. I'm not their judge. God will be the judge.

But when I heard of things like that and the power of this great prophet and the attitude, I just don't, I don't find that relieving. I can't, I can't relate to it. And others can't relate to it. We don't want to judge.

No, we don't. But let in love, let discern. Your love might have bound more and more in knowledge and all discernment. In love. And if perchance the time comes, God sends you with a message, just such one's fine.

But God's servant, he's not mine. And may there be love and compassion for those who we see may be going astray. And if God sees fit, go to them with the word, but let love be the dominating thing. Because true love will sometimes be very harsh.

The Wilderness Test and Resisting Satan's Challenge

Get thee behind me, Satan. He said to his beloved, Peter, because there was something there, a temptation to avoid the cross. You had to be, and he told them, I got to go and die. He sensed the wrong spirit there.

Not you, Lord. No, you're going to be the king. You're going to reign. Get thee behind me, Satan. And so the temptation, you see, the wilderness we have to go through to come to this place where God can entrust us to go forth.

He said, I got the anointing. Now, I know Jesus had it. And he got the anointing before he went through the wilderness. Wouldn't turn the stone to bread, to the moon, to a pinnacle of the temple to cast yourself down.

For it is written, he will give his angels charge over thee to keep thee. Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus replied, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God. Cast thyself down. The angels will oppose you.

Tempting God. I've heard preachers say, put God to the test. Do this thing that I'm telling you. Maybe it's an offering you want. Maybe you don't have the money. Put God to the test. Write out a check for a thousand dollars and prove God.

Test him. The Bible says, Thou shall not test the Lord thy God. If he tells you to write a check for a thousand dollars, fine. You're walking in obedience. But you say, I'm going to do it. I'm going to test God in this.

That's wrong. They tried to throw him over the hill when he came out of the synagogue. And as it was, God protected him. They tried to stone him. I don't know what happened, whether they just bounced off him.

It wasn't God's time. He was walking in the will of God. Nothing could hinder the purposes of God as a man walks in his will. But to go to the temple because Satan challenged him. You know that much of the strategy of the church is built on meeting the challenge of the devil.

He does something we don't like. We're out there to challenge him, to respond to his challenge. Are we supposed to be confronted with Satan? Yes. In God's will, in God's timing, in God's methods, by God's leading.

David accepted the challenge of Goliath, but he was sent there in the will of God. His brothers were approving him. He says there's a cause. If there's not a cause, God has ordained that. Didn't mean from that day forward he had all the power of the kingdom to go and establish the kingdom for which he was anointed.