GodsView : It's Never Too Late! for God: Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be a...
Sunday, July 27, 2014
It's Never Too Late! for God
Most people know only fragments about the Old Testament judge Samson—long hair, superhuman strength, seduced by Delilah—but there is so much more worth knowing.
Judges 13 introduces Samson through his parents, who were barren but were given a miracle child. An angel essentially announced to Samson’s parents, “You’re going to have a boy, and he’s going to be special. He’s going to belong to Me from the day he is born.” After years of infertility, Samson’s parents were fired up to worship God and do what He commanded. Samson was raised as a Nazarite, a person who took a strict vow to belong totally to God. Sadly—pathetically—Samson’s life did not belong to God; it belonged to Samson. He was a sensual person. Though he grew up under God’s blessing, his attention was drawn to pleasure like a moth to a sizzling bulb. It was only a matter of time before he wandered.
“Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines” (Judges 14:1). He was in the wrong place to scout for a wife. The Philistines were the archenemies of the nation of Israel, a deadly nuisance in the neighborhood. Samson was chosen by God and given supernatural strength to drive the Philistines out. Instead of using his abilities to do the job God assigned him, he used his unusual capacity to satisfy his sensual self.
Samson allowed himself to be controlled by his appetites. Like all sensual wanderers, Samson’s life was out of control. Judges 14–16 details the drama and violence of Samson’s life: his wedding, his fits of rage, his slaughters, his entrapment by the seductress Delilah.
Just as the father had to let go of the prodigal son (Luke 15)—not because he wanted to, but because he had to—so God has certain responses to our deliberate wandering. Some people ultimately have to eat pig food before they find out how bad it tastes. In His mercy, God the Father sometimes lets us wander so we discover the futility of life without Him. How sad that Samson, who was raised to live a life in and for God, lived so far from, yet so close to, the one thing that would have fully satisfied him. Eventually God released him to his desires, saying in effect, “Is your way better than Mine? You think you have to have that? Then go.”
Samson lost everything before he realized what really mattered. “And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison” (Judges 16:21). At this point in the story, it looks like it’s over for Samson.
Perhaps it seems that way in your life right now. Has the boulder of reality fallen on you? If you’re still breathing, there’s hope. It wasn’t too late for Samson, and it isn’t too late for you. Though Samson’s life had been reduced to grinding in darkness, “the hair of his head began to grow again” (16:22). The symbol of his calling began to return.
Blindness may have been a severe mercy for Samson. As a sensual wanderer, controlled by his eyes and appetites, he could no longer see. Perhaps being shackled at the mill was the best thing that happened to Samson because his feet couldn’t wander after sensuality. In His mercy, God put Samson on lockdown!
Do you recall how Samson’s story ends? God strengthened him once more, and he toppled the pillars of the Philistine house, killing thousands (Judges 16:30). But that’s not all. There’s a jaw-dropping footnote about Samson’s life. Hebrews 11:32 lists him as a man of faith. Samson’s failures didn’t disqualify him from God’s family.
It wasn’t too late for Samson, and it’s not too late for you. You don’t have to resign yourself to the way you are, fearing you’ll never be changed. You can be different—not by your own power but by the power of the Holy Spirit released in you when you surrender to Him.
Journal
- In what ways can you relate to the life of Samson?
- Why is it never too late to return to God? How does that give you hope for yourself or for other wanderers?
Sunday, July 20, 2014
GodsView : God Always Wins!
GodsView : God Always Wins!: No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage...
God Always Wins!
In Hebrew, weapon refers to any tool or utensil used against a person. A weapon is anything that could be used against you for evil intent.
- If someone used his car against you, it shall not prosper.
- If someone used her cell phone against you, it shall not prosper.
- If someone used his checkbook against you, it shall not prosper.
- If someone used her clout against you, it shall not prosper.
Why is this true? The reason “no weapon formed against you shall prosper” is not because you are a fierce warrior, but because He is. “One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you” (Joshua 23:10, ESV). Could you single-handedly chase away a thousand soldiers? No, but God can—and it is He who fights for you. He is the Defender of His children.
Isaiah assures us our enemies’ weapons will not prosper. That word is translated succeed in ESV and prevail in NIV, and the concept gives us hope. No assault will be final. Even if it appears to be prospering, it’s not done yet. Even if it wins the battle, it won’t win the war. God takes it very seriously when someone opposes or attacks the ones He loves.
Just as their weapons will not win, neither will their words: “And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.” Have you ever been a target for hurtful words because of your stand for the Lord? Have you experienced ridicule in your workplace or home because of your loyalty to Jesus? Do you know the sting of scorn because of your stand for God’s truth? Have you been rebuked because of your fidelity to God’s agenda?
If you answered “no” to all of those questions, that’s not a good sign. It suggests the people around you haven’t noticed a direct connection between you and God. Consider 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then savor this truth: God always wins! Romans 16:20 previews the final round: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
You may wonder, When will this victory happen? Does God’s definition of “soon” match ours? “Soon” implies sooner than we think—especially from an eternal perspective. Before long we will be in eternity, astonished by how fast life on earth raced by. This story will soon be in its last, glorious chapter, and Jesus Christ the Lord will be forever victorious. Spoiler alert: at the end of the Book, God wins.
And because He wins, so will you. You get to share in His victories. “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” As you face the weapons and words of your enemies, as you engage in the battles of life, set your heart and hope on the final outcome. It’s going to end well for you. Guaranteed.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Whose Slave Are You?
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification (Romans 6:17-19, ESV).
If you do whatever your boss says, without hesitation or question, then for all intents and purposes you are your boss’s slave. If you do whatever your spouse wants without evaluating or considering if that is really best, you’re a slave to your spouse. And if you do whatever your sinful nature says, without resisting or discerning the wisdom in that choice, you are a slave to your sinful nature.
We can be enslaved to countless sins. To illustrate, let’s visit the sin Rolodex, flip to the letter “S,” and survey just a few of the sins we find there:
Stuff. Some are slaves to stuff: more money, newer car, nicer clothes, bigger house, more, more, more. Consumed with acquisition, they are slaves to things.
Sexuality. Some focus almost exclusively on sex. Sexuality is a gift from God but has been perverted in their thinking. They’re slaves to the sin of immoral sexual thoughts and actions.
Substances. Some seem to be powerless against substances: alcohol, tobacco, legal and illegal drugs, caffeine, sugar. Addicted and unable to say no, they’re slaves to a substance.
Someone. Sometimes people wield undue influence, even outright control, over others. The slave is controlled by and addicted to securing the approval of another. A slave is willing to do whatever is wanted, and this is another form of bondage.
Ironically, Christianity is often viewed as too restrictive. Because they do not know God, they view His rules as bondage. On the contrary, his boundaries are designed to protect us, and can’t compare to the bondage of being a slave to sin. Which brings us to the reality of our options: to be “slaves of sin” (6:17) or “slaves of righteousness” (6:18), with the consuming desire to do what God the Master wants.
Whose slave are you? Here’s how you can tell whether you’re a slave to righteousness:
You are acutely aware of unrighteousness in you. When you sin, you feel conviction. Your heart grieves and you feel badly for breaking God’s standard. When you set your eyes on something inappropriate, say cruel or filthy words, or make a wrong choice, you feel specific conviction.
You can’t ignore personal sin and have to make it right. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of a specific sin, you feel the need to ask God to forgive you and those you have offended or injured: “I’ve sinned against you, and I’m truly sorry. Please forgive me.”
You want to please Jesus. Can you honestly say you think of Christ a lot—not every moment, but every day? Real slaves of righteousness have the Holy Spirit inside them prompting, Would this choice be pleasing to Jesus? Is this what He wants me to do?
So whose slave are you? Do you resonate more with the description of bondage to sin—enslaved to stuff or sexuality or substance or someone or [fill in the blank]? Or are you a slave to righteousness?
Paul calls us to: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If you aren’t bearing the fruit of righteousness—not perfectly, but increasingly—then you must question whether you have ever been “set free from sin [to] become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). You can’t have it both ways: you can’t be a slave to sin and a slave to God.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Redefining the Family!
I read recently that the definition of the family needed to be
revised in light of cultural changes. The writer said a family should be
thought of as "a circle of love," including any individuals who were
deeply attached to each other. Somehow I know this is wrong but can't
articulate why. How do you see it?
I am familiar with the effort to redefine the family. It is motivated by homosexual activists and others who see this institution as a barrier to the social engineering they hope to accomplish. But what is the traditional definition of the family? It is a group of individuals who are related to one another by marriage, birth, or adoption-- nothing more, nothing else. The family was divinely instituted and sanctioned in the beginning, when God created one man and one woman, brought them together, and commanded them to "be fruitful and multiply." This is where we begin, and this is where we must stand.
By contrast, if the term family refers to any group of people who love each other, then the term ceases to have meaning. In that case, five homosexual men can be a "family" until one feels unloved, and then there are four. Under such a definition, one man and six women could be regarded as a legal entity, reintroducing the debate over polygamy. We thought we settled that issue in the last century.
It would also be possible for parents who dislike a rebellious teenager to opt him out of the "circle of love," thus depriving him of any legal identity with the family. With such amorphous terms, wives would have no greater legal protection than female acquaintances with whom men become infatuated. We end up with an unstable social structure rife with potential for disaster.
There is good reason, then, to defend the narrow legal definition of the family as understood over the centuries. After all, the family as I have characterized it is not merely human in origin. It is God's marvelous creation. And He has not included casual social relationships--even the most loving ones--within that bond of kinship. Nor should we.
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