The Difference Between Samson And Samuel (3)

“The Lord your God was your king.” 1Sa 12:12 NKJV

Difference three: Motives. Samson repeatedly dishonored the Lord by his actions and his lifestyle. That’s because he had no regard for God’s honor. What a contrast Samuel was! When Israel wanted a king in order to be like all the surrounding nations, it broke his heart. He said to the people, “The Lord your God was your king.” Honoring God was his highest priority. And there’s a lesson here for us, especially those in ministry. Every time someone steps behind a pulpit, they must check their ego and ask themselves the motive question: “Is my aim to make God look good, or myself look good?” And it’s a hard question to answer. The Bible says, “For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed” (1Sa 2:3 NKJV). The truth is that without the power of God’s indwelling Spirit, none of us have what it takes to do the job, and we must never forget that. The tragedy of Samson’s end is described in these two Scriptures: “He awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him” (Jdg 16:20 NKJV). “So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, ‘Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.’ So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them” (v. 25 NKJV). Note the word perform. Without God’s grace and power we are all, at best, just performers. So stay humble, and seek only to exalt the Lord.

The Difference Between Samson And Samuel (4)

“Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1Sa 7:12 NKJV

Difference four: Accountability. Samson had an independent attitude and refused to be accountable to anyone else. He was a “lone ranger” who refused to work with others. And his erratic attempts at deliverance caused the Philistines to tax God’s people more and make their burdens heavier. Samuel, on the other hand, worked in consensus with others. When he prayed and God gave Israel a spectacular victory over their enemies, he refused to take any of the credit. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’” Samson was “me” focused, but Samuel was “us” focused. The Psalmist said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…for there the Lord commanded the blessing” (Ps 133:1, 3 NKJV). The secret of walking in God’s blessing is not to operate alone, but cooperate with others. That’s how the New Testament church did it. “When they had further threatened them, they let them go…And being let go, they went to their own companions” (Ac 4:21, 23 NKJV). When the apostles came under attack, “they went to their own companions.” They had relationships in place with those who knew how to advise and guide them, strengthen and encourage them, pray and share God’s Word with them. You need such relationships too! And you can’t afford to wait until trouble comes before you establish them. Do it now, in the good times, and they’ll be there for you in the bad times.

The Difference Between Samson And Samuel (5)

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people.’” Jer 15:1 NKJV

Difference five: Prayer. The Bible records only two occasions when Samson prayed: first, when he thought he was dying of thirst and needed water (Jdg 15:18); second, in the last moments of his life when he’d lost everything and ended up in prison (See Jdg 16:28). He was like the little boy who was asked, “Do you say your prayers every night?” He replied, “No; sometimes I don’t need anything.” On the other hand the Bible says, “Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel” (1Sa 12:18 NKJV). One of the greatest tributes given to anyone in Scripture was spoken by God concerning Samuel’s prayer life: “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people.’” Such is the “clout” Samuel had with God! The Bible also has much to say about the prayer life of Jesus. Sometimes He prayed all through the night; other times He was up praying before dawn. It was the secret of His effectiveness in ministry. He made regular deposits in prayer so He could make regular withdrawals of power when He needed it. And you’ll notice that He seldom prayed for anyone He healed. Why? Because He’d already spent time in prayer. Old-timers in church used to refer to this as “staying prayed up.” And it’s the secret of victorious Christian living.

Your New Christlike Body

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own.” Php 3:21 NLT

The Bible says our heavenly bodies will be exactly like the one Jesus had following His resurrection. He resembled Himself, because the disciples could recognize Him. He ate and drank with them. He could be touched. He could miraculously pass through walls. Talk about “time travel”—He could appear in various places to different people without traveling by any recognized means. His transformed body no longer aged, nor was it subject to sickness and death. And your new body will be like His. “Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come” (1Co 15:23-24 NLT). Scottish Presbyterian Robert Baillie learned in 1684 that he would be hanged for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate King Charles II, then drawn and quartered, and his head and hands nailed to a local bridge. How did he respond? By first quoting this Scripture: “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior…who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Php 3:20-21 NKJV). Then he declared: “They may hack and hew my body as they please, but I know assuredly that nothing will be lost, that all these my members shall be wonderfully gathered and made like Christ’s glorious body.” The truth is that whether you get buried in a casket or cremated and your ashes scattered, it makes no difference. God has prepared for you a glorious body just like Christ’s.

Don’t Just Read It, Do It (1)

“Be doers of the word…not merely hearers.” Jas 1:22 NRS

A businessman known for his ruthlessness, arrogance, and religiosity told Mark Twain that before he died he intended to visit the Holy Land, climb Mount Sinai, and read the Ten Commandments aloud. “I have a better idea,” Twain replied. “Just stay here in Boston and keep them!” We’d rather cogitate on what we don’t know, than act on what we know we need to do. For example, a company knows it needs to improve its quality control so the executives discuss the problem, listen to presentations, read all kinds of books, look at state-of-the-art systems—but never actually get around to doing anything. Their problem isn’t ignorance; it’s knowing too much but doing too little. Another everyday example: People would rather debate the merits of protein vs. carbs, French cooking vs. vegetarian, lifting weights vs. cardio, than change how they eat. The bottom line is simple: Expend more calories than you take in. Likewise, some Christians would rather debate doctrine than do what Jesus says. As the old ad for Nike sneakers said—just do it! Practice loving a difficult person; try forgiving someone; give some money away; stop and say thanks; worship God; encourage a friend; bless an enemy; when you’re in the wrong say, “I’m sorry.” Face it: You already know more than you need to. And nothing turns people off faster than somebody with a head full of knowledge, who lacks grace and character. It’s the same today as it was when James wrote, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.”

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Don’t Just Read It, Do It (2)

“The Holy Spirit…will teach you…and will remind you of everything I have said.” Jn 14:26 NIV

Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with a striking story that addresses the gap between knowing and doing: “Therefore anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Mt 7:24 NIV). The problem is, we find it easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more about the Bible until you put into practice what you already know. John Ortberg says that when he taught tennis, unskilled novices would agonize over which racket to buy—whether to use nylon or gut strings, whether to string them up at sixty-five or seventy pounds. The problem was, they couldn’t even hit the ball. Instead of debating the minutiae, they simply needed to practice. But a word of caution here: You don’t become a “doer of the word” by drawing on your own strength and willpower. The Holy Spirit who dwells within you is referred to in Scripture as “the paraclete.” The word means “one who comes alongside to help.” When you decide to do what’s right, the Holy Spirit within you empowers you to do it. When a situation arises, He will prompt you as to what you should do. Jesus promised, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” You ask, “But what if I don’t get it right?” He will work with you, giving you opportunities until you do get it right.

The Island Of Blessing

“You are complete in Him.” Col 2:9 NKJV

In his book Outlive Your Life, author Max Lucado says the Greek word for “blessed,” makarios, was the name of an island off Greece. It was known as “the blessed island” because it was self-contained. The residents didn’t need to leave it in order to get their needs met. The natural resources of this island were so rich that everything needed to enjoy life was already there. There’s a lesson here for you. The moment you trust in Christ as your Savior, He becomes your king and you begin living in His kingdom. You don’t have to leave it and go elsewhere to find what you need, because it’s all around you in the island of blessing. You don’t have to strive for God’s blessing; you simply have to “tune in” and receive it. It’s like your radio; there are no orchestras or newscasters inside it, it’s only a conduit and a point of contact. Even when your radio stops working, there are still signals in the air. All your radio does is receive the signal that comes from another source and deliver it to you. If you lose sight of that fact, you’ll give the radio more credit than it deserves. One of the reasons we don’t recognize the blessings of God in our lives is that we confuse the means of delivery with the source. If something doesn’t miraculously fall into our lap, we think it didn’t come from God. No, God will bless you at different times, through different people, in different ways. But you must always remember that they are only the carriers of blessing, while He is the source of it (See Ps 31:19).

Each Child Is Unique

“Before you were born I set you apart.” Jer 1:5 NIV

Does a baby come into the world with a complex personality, or is that child a blank slate on which experience will write? In the past, behavioral scientists believed newborns had no temperamental or emotional characteristics upon arrival from the womb. Their little personalities were supposedly formed entirely by the experiences that came their way in ensuing years. But most parents knew better. Every mother of two or more children was convinced that each of her infants had a different personality—a different feel—from the very first time they were held. Now, after years of research, numerous authorities in child development acknowledge that those mothers were right. One important study identified nine characteristics that varied in babies—such as moodiness, level of activity, and responsiveness. They also found that the differences from child to child tended to persist into later life. Indeed, babies do differ in infinite ways that define our humanness and our individuality. If every snowflake that falls has its own design, and if every grain of sand at the seashore is unique, it makes no sense to suppose that children are assembly-line products stamped out by the same giant cookie cutter. There’s no denying the importance of environment and human experience in shaping who we are and how we think. But there can be no doubt that each person on earth is a one-of-a-kind creation from the earliest moments of life. As God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” You need to know that about your children.

Blessed In “Every” Area Of Life

“God…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.” Eph 1:3 NKJV

Farmer Brown lived during the Great Depression, and he was having trouble keeping up the mortgage payments on his farm. Eventually the bank gave him thirty days to catch up on his back payments or face foreclosure. Then something wonderful happened. A man from an oil company showed up on his doorstep, asking for a lease to drill for oil on his land. Since he was going to lose the farm anyway, Farmer Brown decided that it couldn’t hurt. Well, that oil company drilled and hit a gusher—82,000 barrels of oil a day. Immediately Farmer Brown became a millionaire many times over. Now, here’s the question—When did he become a millionaire? Was it when oil was discovered on his farm, or when he first bought the land? He was a millionaire the moment he purchased the farm, but he lived in poverty because he didn’t know what was under his feet and within his reach. The Bible says God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.” Some people think the only thing God will do for you is bless you with salvation, then He lets you struggle through the rest of life until you get to heaven. As long as you believe that, you’re living in your own spiritual version of the Great Depression. You’re living spiritually poor, spiritually weak, and spiritually deprived because you don’t know what’s available to you in Christ or how to access it and appropriate it in your life. Refuse to live that way. Instead, read your Bible and begin to claim God’s promises in every area of your life.

A Small Change Can Make A Big Difference

“Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?” Zec 4:10 TM

Imagine the temple lying in ruins, and having to be rebuilt from the ground up. That’s what things were like when Zechariah shared his vision with the people of Israel. Some thought it couldn’t be done, and others thought that their particular contribution would make no difference. So Zechariah challenged them in these words: “Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!” In 1963, MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz presented the hypothesis that became known as the butterfly effect. He theorized that a minor event, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil, could conceivably alter wind currents sufficiently to cause a tornado in Texas. Lorenz came to the simple yet profound conclusion: “Minuscule changes in input can make macroscopic differences in output.” That simple discovery has the power to change your life. It can radically alter your spiritual, emotional, relational, or financial forecast. It can change the atmosphere of your organization or your marriage. One decision. One change. One risk. One idea. That’s all it takes. You don’t have to make one hundred changes. All that does is divide your energy by one hundred, and results in a 1 percent chance of success. You have to be 100 percent committed to one change. It will take an all-out effort. It will probably be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But that one change has the potential to make a 100 percent difference in your life.

Praise God Every Day

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory.” Rev 4:11 NKJV

A Christian farmer taught his horse to start and stop, using words from the Bible. When he wanted the horse to go, he would shout, “Praise the Lord.” When he wanted the horse to stop, he would shout, “Hallelujah.” All went well until one day a thunderbolt caused the horse to take off galloping at full speed. Realizing he had lost control, the farmer panicked and forgot the words he had trained the horse to respond to. Up ahead was a cliff, and they were headed toward it at full speed. Desperately he tried to recall every religious word he’d ever heard of. He shouted, “Amen! Jesus saves! Worthy! Holy!” Nothing worked. Just as the horse approached the precipice, he shouted, “Hallelujah!” The horse stopped right there on the edge. Relieved, he wiped the sweat off his brow and said, “Whew, praise the Lord!” Seriously, praising the Lord is not a religious activity that belongs only in church on Sunday morning. “From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised” (Ps 113:3 NKJV). That means let your first words in the morning and your last words at night, be praise to God. “Why should I praise God every day?” you ask. Because He is worthy of your praise. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.” And one more thought. Spoken words of love and appreciation draw people together and create intimacy. Do you want to get closer to God? Start praising Him more.

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How Much Do You Love Jesus?

“When he had found one pearl of great price…[he] sold all that he had and bought it.”            Mt 13:46 NKJV

 

In one of the most unique corporate take-overs ever, Stanley Tam legally transferred 51 percent of the shares of his company to God. He started United States Plastic Corporation with thirty-seven dollars in capital. When he gave his business back to God, annual revenues were less than two hundred thousand dollars. But Stanley believed God would bless his business, and he wanted to honor God from the get-go. At that point, most of us would have been patting ourselves on the back. Not Stanley. He felt convicted for keeping 49 percent to himself. After reading the parable of the merchant who sold everything to obtain the pearl of great price, he made a decision to divest himself of all his shares. He said, “A man can eat only one meal at a time, wear only one suit of clothes at a time, drive only one car at a time. All this I have. Isn’t that enough?” So on January 15, 1955, every share of stock was transferred to God, and Stanley became a salaried employee of the company he started. Before he was through, Stanley gave away more than $120 million to the cause of Christ. If you want to measure the depth of your love for Christ, look at your calendar and your credit card statement. They don’t lie. How you spend your time and money are the two best barometers of your true priorities. Is Christ your pearl of great price? He wants to be. He deserves to be.

The Marriage Covenant (1)

“For those who are married, I have a command that comes…from the Lord.”   1Co 7:10 NLT

 

Having God’s blessing on your marriage is contingent upon your operating according to His rules. To enjoy His protection, peace, and prosperity you must follow His instructions. For example, you can spend hours arguing and still not resolve the issue. If you’d just followed God’s rules, the argument could have been over in a matter of minutes, and both parties would have been satisfied at the end of the process. When your car breaks down, you take it back to the dealership. Why? Because they sold it to you and they know how to fix it! God performed the first marriage. So when your relationship gets into trouble, if you’re wise you’ll talk to Himabout it before talking to each other. Furthermore, when you get married with the attitude, “If this doesn’t work out I can always get a divorce,” you’re running in the opposite direction from the truth of God’s Word. Paul writes: “For those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife” (vv. 10-11 NLT). Yes, there are some acceptable reasons for divorce, but they are the exception and not the rule! Recently a Hollywood celebrity spent millions of dollars on her wedding and then divorced her husband two months later on the grounds of “incompatibility.” When you say, “Till death us do part,” you say it before God and you’re supposed to mean it.

The Marriage Covenant (2)

“Husbands, love your wives.”         Eph 5:25 NLT

We throw the word “love” around loosely, leaving it to be defined in many different ways. People say things like, “I love chocolate cake,” or “I love football,” or “I love that television show.” What they really mean is they “like” and “enjoy” these things. The Bible definition of love goes much deeper than what entertains and excites us, and what makes us feel emotionally attached to one another. To love someone is to pursue their well-being and make it a priority. Love’s first concern is always: “How does this action contribute to my partner’s well-being?” If it doesn’t—or if it does the opposite—then it isn’t love. The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her…In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but…cares for it” (vv. 25, 28-29 NLT). As a husband, you can learn two things from these Scriptures:(1) We are all innately selfish. So your greatest challenge will always be to put your wife’s interests ahead of your own, and be willing to sacrifice your own agenda to do it. (2) We must practice being sensitive. Think how sensitive you are to the aches and needs of your own body, and apply that same principle to caring for your wife. You say, “That’s a tall order!” Yes, and the God who commands you to do it will give you the grace to do it day by day. So draw on His grace!

 

The Marriage Covenant (3)

“Being heirs together of the grace of life.”   1Pe 3:7 NKJV

 

A good marriage is built on mutual sacrifice. Adam had to sacrifice something near and dear to him in order to get Eve—a rib. And your wife will know you love her when you’re willing to give up things that are important to you in order to meet her needs and promote her well-being. Too many men want to be married but still function as singles. They don’t want to sacrifice any time, attention, or resources for the benefit of their wives. They don’t want a wife; they want a maid. They want to marry someone so they can be served. No—it’s the opposite! The Bible says you and your wife are “heirs together.” That means she is an equal partner. So her opinions, thoughts, and perspectives matter. Yes, as the leader of your home you may make the final decision, but when you don’t get your wife’s input and consider her viewpoint, holy wedlock can turn into unholy deadlock. Your wife will respond to you when she feels cherished and valued (See Eph 5:29). You say, “But my wife’s as cold as ice.” How did she get that way? Ice only stays icy in a cold environment. So instead of complaining, work at changing your environment. Husbands are thermostats and wives are thermometers. Husbands determine the climate and wives thrive or shrivel accordingly. There’s a reason your wife is cold—and there’s a solution. When you begin to love, nurture, cherish, and protect her as Christ did the church, you’ll have a whole new woman in your arms. Try it and see.

The Marriage Covenant (4)

“The wife must respect her husband.”        Eph 5:33 NLT

 

Paul writes, “The wife must respect her husband.” Pay close attention to the word “must.” This is a command from the Lord, not a suggestion or a topic that’s open to debate. Notice, the Bible doesn’t say a woman must “love” her husband, but it does say that she must “respect” him. And guys, before you take the throne and start handing out decrees, that means you must prove yourself worthy of respect! To respect your husband is to hold him in esteem and honor. What a woman needs from a man is located in her heart, and what a man needs from a woman is located in his head. It’s called his ego. You say, “I’m not going to feed his ego!” That would be like your husband saying, “I’m not going to feed your heart.” Men long to have their egos fed. When you fail to feed your husband’s ego, he may end up vulnerable to somebody else who feeds it for him! As a wife, you were created by God with the ability to feed your husband’s ego in a healthy manner, by respecting and honoring him. There’s nothing more dangerous in a marriage relationship than disrespect. When a man doesn’t feel respected, he will either rebel against you, remove himself, or become passive. God has given two simple rules for building a successful marriage. The first is for husbands to love their wives, and the second is for wives to respect their husbands. And when you operate by God’s rules you get God’s results. So if you want God’s best, and His blessing at home—start doing things His way.

Be “Aware” Of God In Your Situation

“I was not aware of it.”           Ge 28:16 NIV
 

One night Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder with angels on it extending all the way up to heaven, and God said to him, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (v. 15 NIV). The next morning Jacob said, “The Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” When it comes to recognizing God at work in your life, you can be spiritually tuned in, or be like Jacob and not be “aware” of Him. It was business as usual for Moses the day he noticed the burning bush—not an uncommon sight in a hot desert climate. Except this time the bush kept burning, and “when…he turned aside to look, God called to him” (Ex 3:4 NKJV). You’ll have some of your greatest encounters with God in the everyday experiences of life. But you have to be open and receptive, otherwise you’ll miss Him. Author William Barry says: “Whether we’re aware of it or not, at every moment of our existence we’re encountering God…who is trying to catch our attention…to draw us into a reciprocal conscious relationship.” And you never know where He’ll appear, or through whom He’ll speak. After the resurrection, Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was just the gardener. Paul writes, “Wake up…sleeper” (Eph 5:14 NIV). You can be awakened by a miraculous healing, a restored relationship, or even a great trial. Don’t just look for God in your triumphs; look for Him in your troubles too. Theologian Frederick Buechner said, “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present, leaving you room to recognize or not to recognize Him.”

A Promise To Praying Parents

“They shall come back from the land of the enemy.”        Jer 31:16 NKJV

 

Are you living under a cloud of guilt, feeling like a failure because your child has gone astray? Don’t do it! The Bible teaches that sometimes children simply won’t listen to the counsel of their parents. Solomon was probably giving a word of personal testimony when he wrote, “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke” (Pr 13:1 NKJV). Jesus didn’t hold the father accountable for the fact that his prodigal son went astray (See Lk 15:11). And if you did your best, God doesn’t hold you accountable either. The truth is that bad parents sometimes turn out good children, and good parents sometimes have children who go bad. God’s first two children were placed in a perfect paradise, yet they rebelled. Ultimately, we’re all given the power to choose. There comes a time when every child is no longer a child, and has to take responsibility for his or her actions. So if you’ve done your best as a parent, don’t let the Devil put a guilt trip on you. And if you’ve failed as a parent, it’s not the unpardonable sin. Not only will God forgive you, but you can also claim this wonderful promise: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future…that your children shall come back to their own border” (Jer 31:16-17 NKJV). Don’t give up on your children, because God hasn’t. Keep praying and believing—and allow Him to work on them.