Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Judges, Chapters 16-18 … To study these chapters, go to this link ...
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Highlight Reference Passage : Judges 16: 15-17 … 15 Then she [Delilah] said to him [Samson], "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
17 So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
My Journal for Today: There are several good lessons to be learned from reading today’s assigned chronological read in Chapters 16-18 of the book of Judges. However, the segment which came to my attention this morning was the conclusion of the account of Samson and Delilah in the highlight passage which is copied for your review above. And certainly it is pertinent to my called ministry which primarily deals with Christian men who make selfish and fleshly choices and are lured – by their own actions – into patterns of habitual sexual sin. So, I think you could easily see why I would be drawn to journal about this story in Judges 16.
Today, all men are engulfed in a culture and world which has become a super-weapon, designed by Satan, to lure visually vulnerable manhood into the tar pits of sexual sin. Mankind these days cannot escape the magnet sexual images which surround us almost everywhere. Sexual imagery is the primary drawing card of the advertisement industry; and all forms of media and entertainment these days have sexual images calling out to men to draw them into the clutches of the Delilahs of the world.
And if you’re a Christian man these worldly temptations are just as prevalent as they are for non-Christians. The difference is, like Samson, all Christian men are endowed by God with the power of the Holy Spirit to make Godly choices … rather than succumb to ungodly and fleshly ones. Samson, having God’s Spirit resting upon him; and he, having been called out to be a Nazirite, could have set himself into a pattern of discipline to resist the alluring charms of Delilah. BUT … he didn’t; and Delilah lured him – by HIS choices – to make himself vulnerable to her charms and reveal his weaknesses.
Today, in my Parsons Commentary on this passage/story, the writers posit some very good warnings and teaching for all of us, especially believers who have the Holy Spirit’s grace to empower our lives. They write: ”(1) You must decide what kind of a person you will love before passion takes over. Determine whether a person’s character and faith in God are as desirable as his or her physical appearance. (2) Because most of the time you spend with your spouse will not involve sex, your companion’s personality, temperament, and commitment to solve problems must be as gratifying as his or her kisses. (3) Be patient. The second look often reveals what is beneath the pleasant appearance and attentive touch.”
This is good advice for all Christians, but especially men who feel they are vulnerable to the sexual taunts with which the world bombards us daily. In the language of our ministry, BattlePlan Ministry [ go to www.battleplanministries.org ], would say that all Christian men need a “battle plan,” which is a carefully crafted and proactive plan (preferably written), which is guided by a James 1: 5-6 desire to seek God’s wisdom and guidance. Being PROACTIVE in the mental planning of one’s personal “battle plan” can often make the difference to prevent having to be REACTIVE when the world tempts our minds and hearts away from Godly wisdom.
If you’re a Christian man and you’re reading this, do you have a proactive plan to use God-inspired, Spirit-led principles to guide your decisions when you’re confronted by sexual temptations? … Is that plan methodically written out to be your manifesto of action for seeking God’s will rather than the will of the flesh? … Do you have at least one Christian man, but preferably a group of co-warriors, who will hold you accountable to your pre—planned principles for decision and action. … And finally, are you living the plan, utilizing the disciplines of the faith to bolster your strength and surrender to God’s will and way for your life?
Remember Proverbs 3: 5-6 (which I hope you can quote right now), which is take from Chapters 1-9 of Proverbs, where a wise Solomon was giving advice to his son on how to avoid sexual temptations. I pray that we’re all CHOOSING to live – proactively - as God would have us live and not falling prey to our enemies in this sexual charged world.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, I have Your plan from Your word to follow Your will and give me Your way of strength to do battle with my enemies today. Amen
Showing posts with label Battle Plan Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Battle Plan Ministry. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January 25, 2012 … Flee … Flee … Flee!!!
Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Genesis, Chapters 38-40 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Genesis 39: 6-12: … [Integrity in the Face of Temptation] ... 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” … 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
My Journal for Today: If you’ve read through Chapters 38-40 of Genesis, which was my chronological reading assignment today, you read first, in Chapter 38, of the broken leadership and character of Judah, the oldest son and designated heir of Jacob (aka, “Israel”). Then, for a character contrast lesson, in these next two chapters, we read of the plight and walk of faith of Joseph, the young brother Judah and his brothers had sold into slavery in Egypt. And in the focus passage today from Genesis 39: 6-12, which I’ve copied for you this morning, we come to a passage which means a lot to me, … personally.
It’s the very revealing confrontation between the wife of Potiphar, the rich man who had become Joseph’s slave master, and Joseph, whom Potiphar had appointed as steward of his home. “Potipharina,” as my Pastor likes to call this sex-driven temptress, came after Joseph repeatedly, doing all she could to lure the young man into a sexual encounter. But we see Joseph being a model for us of Godly character, doing all he can to avoid Potiphar’s wife and finally just simply fleeing this sex-starved woman, … who then, unjustly, had Joseph thrown into prison because of the rejection.
I say here that this story is very close to me personally because for many years I was not able to do what Joseph did, … to flee from the temptation of sexual sin; and my unGodly behavior almost cost me my marriage, my family, and my career. It was only much later in my life, after I came to know Christ as LORD, that our merciful God, whom Joseph stood for (see Verse 9 of Gen. 39 above), was able to disciple me into learning the strategy of righteousness, taught by Paul in 2nd Timothy 2: 22, which Joseph exhibited as a personal model, … and that is to do all one can to resist sexual temptations; … and then – if all else fails – to simply FLEE – no matter what the human cost.
I now lead a Christian discipleship ministry, called Battle Plan Ministry (“BPM” – website linked here), formed to help men of God to become more Godly and battle-strong warriors in our hypersexual culture. We call Joseph’s battle strategy the “2.2:22” battle plan, which is labeled after Paul’s exhortation in 2 Tim. 2: 22 [which I hope you know by heart – if not, please look it up!]. This strategy of spiritual warfare was exemplified in the encounter Joseph had with Potiphar’s wife. In BPM, we teach our men to do all they can to anticipate and avoid sexual temptations in their lives (which are extremely pervasive these days); but when all proactive strategies of avoidance are exhausted, the “2.2:22” strategy MUST be implemented … and we simply do what Paul exhorted, … to … Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Today, we live in a world where sexual triggers and temptations abound. Men, and women, but especially men, are surrounded by a culture which tries to lure them into dishonoring God by giving in to the ever-present sexual temptations we face EVERYDAY. Quite often, all one can do is to go to the “2.2:22” battle strategy and FLEE … FLEE … FLEE, remembering that – as with Joseph – bad things may happen. However, … in the end we know that God always – as HE did with Joseph, honors the warrior who’s willing to stand in the gap for righteousness and do the right thing.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me flee any ploy of the enemy which is stronger than my own will to resist. Amen
Genesis 39: 6-12: … [Integrity in the Face of Temptation] ... 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” … 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
My Journal for Today: If you’ve read through Chapters 38-40 of Genesis, which was my chronological reading assignment today, you read first, in Chapter 38, of the broken leadership and character of Judah, the oldest son and designated heir of Jacob (aka, “Israel”). Then, for a character contrast lesson, in these next two chapters, we read of the plight and walk of faith of Joseph, the young brother Judah and his brothers had sold into slavery in Egypt. And in the focus passage today from Genesis 39: 6-12, which I’ve copied for you this morning, we come to a passage which means a lot to me, … personally.
It’s the very revealing confrontation between the wife of Potiphar, the rich man who had become Joseph’s slave master, and Joseph, whom Potiphar had appointed as steward of his home. “Potipharina,” as my Pastor likes to call this sex-driven temptress, came after Joseph repeatedly, doing all she could to lure the young man into a sexual encounter. But we see Joseph being a model for us of Godly character, doing all he can to avoid Potiphar’s wife and finally just simply fleeing this sex-starved woman, … who then, unjustly, had Joseph thrown into prison because of the rejection.
I say here that this story is very close to me personally because for many years I was not able to do what Joseph did, … to flee from the temptation of sexual sin; and my unGodly behavior almost cost me my marriage, my family, and my career. It was only much later in my life, after I came to know Christ as LORD, that our merciful God, whom Joseph stood for (see Verse 9 of Gen. 39 above), was able to disciple me into learning the strategy of righteousness, taught by Paul in 2nd Timothy 2: 22, which Joseph exhibited as a personal model, … and that is to do all one can to resist sexual temptations; … and then – if all else fails – to simply FLEE – no matter what the human cost.
I now lead a Christian discipleship ministry, called Battle Plan Ministry (“BPM” – website linked here), formed to help men of God to become more Godly and battle-strong warriors in our hypersexual culture. We call Joseph’s battle strategy the “2.2:22” battle plan, which is labeled after Paul’s exhortation in 2 Tim. 2: 22 [which I hope you know by heart – if not, please look it up!]. This strategy of spiritual warfare was exemplified in the encounter Joseph had with Potiphar’s wife. In BPM, we teach our men to do all they can to anticipate and avoid sexual temptations in their lives (which are extremely pervasive these days); but when all proactive strategies of avoidance are exhausted, the “2.2:22” strategy MUST be implemented … and we simply do what Paul exhorted, … to … Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Today, we live in a world where sexual triggers and temptations abound. Men, and women, but especially men, are surrounded by a culture which tries to lure them into dishonoring God by giving in to the ever-present sexual temptations we face EVERYDAY. Quite often, all one can do is to go to the “2.2:22” battle strategy and FLEE … FLEE … FLEE, remembering that – as with Joseph – bad things may happen. However, … in the end we know that God always – as HE did with Joseph, honors the warrior who’s willing to stand in the gap for righteousness and do the right thing.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me flee any ploy of the enemy which is stronger than my own will to resist. Amen
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