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 Samson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samson. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
April 3, 2012 … Samsonite Baggage
Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Judges, Chapters 13-15 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Reference Passage : Judges 13: 1-5 … 1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. … 2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
My Journal for Today: In the three chapters in Judges (Chapters 13-15) in my assigned chronological read today, we begin to see the life of the Judge, Samson, unfold. And as you read above at the outset of Chapter 13, Samson was to be born of a barren couple, Manoah and his wife; and he was to be set aside by God as a Nazirite, which was somewhat of a spiritual role of honor among the Israelites. Nazirites were Israelites who made a covenant to God and before the people never to cut their hair, touch a dead body, or consume alcohol; and for this they were viewed as set-apart and empowered by God in their lives. Samson’s parents had a visitation from the Angel of the Lord (likely Christ); and they made the lifetime vow for their son for him to be a Nazirite; and the Lord granted them favor with the son they named “Samson.”
Samson’s life is a study in spiritual contrast: spiritual strength versus fleshly weakness; and I charge the readers with me to read through these chapters today, as I have, to be taught or reminded of the lessons we learn when spiritual vows are broken and a man of God becomes, from his [or her] choices, weakened by ungodly breaches into disobedience.
When Samson, who was up against the Philistines in those days, … fierce warriors whom God had allowed to subjugate God’s people. The Philistines were warriors coming into the iron-age; and they knew how to forge weapons out of iron, a new technology of the day. But Samson had the power of the living God on his side; and as long as he surrendered, in obedience, to His Lord’s power, he could be – and was – victorious over these iron-age Philistine warriors.
And in reading about Samson, I am reminded from the New Testament (from 1st John 4: 4) that our God, Who now resides in the hearts of God’s chosen ones, is always stronger that the forces of our spiritual enemies; and as long as we’re fortified by obedience and surrender to God, we can be victorious over even the most powerful spiritual enemies. This is also the lesson of Paul in Ephesians 6: 10-20, where we now are given all the spiritual weapons we need to be victorious. And above all we’re given the victory which Christ won on the cross to defeat all those who would come against us. Samson didn’t have the latter advantage; but he did have the same Spirit of God to give him victory IF he was willing to be obedient to God.
But Samson is a living example of what happens when we allow our flesh and pride get in the way of our humble surrender to God’s power, working through our obedience to Him. Samson yielded to the flesh; and when he did, breaking the vows he had on his life as a Nazirite, he became spiritually, and even physically, impotent before the guile and power of the Philistines, especially the temptress, Delilah, whom we’ll be reading about tomorrow in upcoming chapters of Judges.
I pray we all take in this lesson of the “Samsonite baggage, “ as I’m calling this journal entry today. We cannot carry the baggage of disobedience around as Christians and expect God to pour His enabling and empowering grace into our lives to allow us to go up against our spiritual enemies. When we are disobedient to the vows we make to the Lordship of Christ, and we carry the baggage of self and the flesh around in our lives; and we will be too burdened with self to be empowered by our Savior’s grace.
Yes, God’s grace is always more powerful than our selves; but unfortunately, God, as He did with Samson, has given us the gift of free-will as well as offering His gift of sanctifying and empowering grace. So, we can choose to carry the burdening load of Samsonite-like disobedience; or we can throw off that baggage, and walk free and powerfully wearing the full armor of God, … unburdened by our own sin choices.
As I always say to myself … as I will today … my choice!
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me to be in surrender mode to Your Spirit and unburdened by the baggage of selfishness. Amen
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Highlight Reference Passage : Judges 13: 1-5 … 1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. … 2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
My Journal for Today: In the three chapters in Judges (Chapters 13-15) in my assigned chronological read today, we begin to see the life of the Judge, Samson, unfold. And as you read above at the outset of Chapter 13, Samson was to be born of a barren couple, Manoah and his wife; and he was to be set aside by God as a Nazirite, which was somewhat of a spiritual role of honor among the Israelites. Nazirites were Israelites who made a covenant to God and before the people never to cut their hair, touch a dead body, or consume alcohol; and for this they were viewed as set-apart and empowered by God in their lives. Samson’s parents had a visitation from the Angel of the Lord (likely Christ); and they made the lifetime vow for their son for him to be a Nazirite; and the Lord granted them favor with the son they named “Samson.”
Samson’s life is a study in spiritual contrast: spiritual strength versus fleshly weakness; and I charge the readers with me to read through these chapters today, as I have, to be taught or reminded of the lessons we learn when spiritual vows are broken and a man of God becomes, from his [or her] choices, weakened by ungodly breaches into disobedience.
When Samson, who was up against the Philistines in those days, … fierce warriors whom God had allowed to subjugate God’s people. The Philistines were warriors coming into the iron-age; and they knew how to forge weapons out of iron, a new technology of the day. But Samson had the power of the living God on his side; and as long as he surrendered, in obedience, to His Lord’s power, he could be – and was – victorious over these iron-age Philistine warriors.
And in reading about Samson, I am reminded from the New Testament (from 1st John 4: 4) that our God, Who now resides in the hearts of God’s chosen ones, is always stronger that the forces of our spiritual enemies; and as long as we’re fortified by obedience and surrender to God, we can be victorious over even the most powerful spiritual enemies. This is also the lesson of Paul in Ephesians 6: 10-20, where we now are given all the spiritual weapons we need to be victorious. And above all we’re given the victory which Christ won on the cross to defeat all those who would come against us. Samson didn’t have the latter advantage; but he did have the same Spirit of God to give him victory IF he was willing to be obedient to God.
But Samson is a living example of what happens when we allow our flesh and pride get in the way of our humble surrender to God’s power, working through our obedience to Him. Samson yielded to the flesh; and when he did, breaking the vows he had on his life as a Nazirite, he became spiritually, and even physically, impotent before the guile and power of the Philistines, especially the temptress, Delilah, whom we’ll be reading about tomorrow in upcoming chapters of Judges.
I pray we all take in this lesson of the “Samsonite baggage, “ as I’m calling this journal entry today. We cannot carry the baggage of disobedience around as Christians and expect God to pour His enabling and empowering grace into our lives to allow us to go up against our spiritual enemies. When we are disobedient to the vows we make to the Lordship of Christ, and we carry the baggage of self and the flesh around in our lives; and we will be too burdened with self to be empowered by our Savior’s grace.
Yes, God’s grace is always more powerful than our selves; but unfortunately, God, as He did with Samson, has given us the gift of free-will as well as offering His gift of sanctifying and empowering grace. So, we can choose to carry the burdening load of Samsonite-like disobedience; or we can throw off that baggage, and walk free and powerfully wearing the full armor of God, … unburdened by our own sin choices.
As I always say to myself … as I will today … my choice!
My Prayer Today: … Lord, help me to be in surrender mode to Your Spirit and unburdened by the baggage of selfishness. Amen
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
2010 – Mar. 23 – On Angels’ Wings
Study from God’s Word…Judges, Chapters 13 - 16 … Passage for Reflection: Judges 13: 6 … NIV 6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.”
My Journal for Today: Back to the Book of Judges; and I’m led into that wondrous story of Samson, the superhero Judge who led God’s people so precariously, using the super strength which God’s Spirit had lain upon this man of God. But the story of Samson reveals just how weak any man (or woman) can be, even Spirit-led believers, if he (or she) does not use the Spirit-given power which God has provided for a set-apart believer to exercise for God’s glory.
Samson was a curious and carnal leader of God’s people, relenting to his human weaknesses which rendered his Spirit-given power useless; and we all can learn from this truthful story about how any of us can be rendered powerless by choosing to pursue our carnal nature rather than relying upon the anointing power of God’s Spirit which is available to any/all believers who choose to be filled with and use God’s power, which is in us as Christians.
God brought the message of Samson being born to his parents by the Lord’s Messenger, a pre-incarnate appearance of God Himself as an Angel, … and angel of the Lord. And Samson’s mother and father had trouble seeing that this was, in fact, the Lord Himself coming to them as an Angel Messenger to bring them the good news of the birth of their son. But when The Angel of God ascended to heaven in a flame, Samson’s father realized that this was the real deal – and their lives had been spared, having been in the presence of God Himself.
Today there is a worldly, “new-age” fascination with angels. There are reports of angel sightings, and the study of angels, “angelology,” abounds. But we can easily, in our human desires for power and control, let the study of or fascination in angel stories get in the way of THE ANGEL of angels, the Lord’s true messenger, Jesus Himself, Who came to impart His power into the lives of anyone who believes in what He came to do – AND DID – so that mankind can be saved of his weakness to sin. We seek after images of angels, and we are misled by an “angel of light,” Satan, who wants us to pursue his counterfeit angels rather than seeing and receiving the very power Samson finally came to use to bring down man’s world around him.
My friend, if we believe in the saving power of “The Angel of the Lord,” Who is Jesus, we have His resurrection power in our lives to do all He has anointed us to do in His Name and for His Father’s glory. So, that is the image of Angels we need to be pursuing, staying away from any worldly image of angels Satan may use to confuse and confound us as to The Truth. Jesus is the only “Angel” I need pursue; and He is the way, the truth, and the light for all of mankind.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, … You are my only Angel; and Your Spirit brings me Your power for life. Amen
My Journal for Today: Back to the Book of Judges; and I’m led into that wondrous story of Samson, the superhero Judge who led God’s people so precariously, using the super strength which God’s Spirit had lain upon this man of God. But the story of Samson reveals just how weak any man (or woman) can be, even Spirit-led believers, if he (or she) does not use the Spirit-given power which God has provided for a set-apart believer to exercise for God’s glory.
Samson was a curious and carnal leader of God’s people, relenting to his human weaknesses which rendered his Spirit-given power useless; and we all can learn from this truthful story about how any of us can be rendered powerless by choosing to pursue our carnal nature rather than relying upon the anointing power of God’s Spirit which is available to any/all believers who choose to be filled with and use God’s power, which is in us as Christians.
God brought the message of Samson being born to his parents by the Lord’s Messenger, a pre-incarnate appearance of God Himself as an Angel, … and angel of the Lord. And Samson’s mother and father had trouble seeing that this was, in fact, the Lord Himself coming to them as an Angel Messenger to bring them the good news of the birth of their son. But when The Angel of God ascended to heaven in a flame, Samson’s father realized that this was the real deal – and their lives had been spared, having been in the presence of God Himself.
Today there is a worldly, “new-age” fascination with angels. There are reports of angel sightings, and the study of angels, “angelology,” abounds. But we can easily, in our human desires for power and control, let the study of or fascination in angel stories get in the way of THE ANGEL of angels, the Lord’s true messenger, Jesus Himself, Who came to impart His power into the lives of anyone who believes in what He came to do – AND DID – so that mankind can be saved of his weakness to sin. We seek after images of angels, and we are misled by an “angel of light,” Satan, who wants us to pursue his counterfeit angels rather than seeing and receiving the very power Samson finally came to use to bring down man’s world around him.
My friend, if we believe in the saving power of “The Angel of the Lord,” Who is Jesus, we have His resurrection power in our lives to do all He has anointed us to do in His Name and for His Father’s glory. So, that is the image of Angels we need to be pursuing, staying away from any worldly image of angels Satan may use to confuse and confound us as to The Truth. Jesus is the only “Angel” I need pursue; and He is the way, the truth, and the light for all of mankind.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, … You are my only Angel; and Your Spirit brings me Your power for life. Amen
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