SANCTIFICATION OF SAMPSON
ALOHA SAINTS, FAMILY & FRIENDS, Beloved of God and me, John3:16
SANCTIFICATION OF SAMPSON, “WORTH CONSIDERING” 11/24/20
Today’s Scripture (Across my desk this morning from a church in Texas.)
Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” (Judges 16:28, NLT)
One More Time
Samson was given supernatural strength to deliver God’s people from their enemies and couldn’t be defeated, but he let his moral guard down and ended up losing his strength, was blinded, and made a slave. It was his fault, but God never gives up on us. One day while Samson was being ridiculed by his captors, he prayed for strength “just one more time,” and God gave Samson the strength to push the middle pillars of the temple, collapsing the building, and killing more enemies in his death than he had during his lifetime. You may have made mistakes, but that is not how your story ends. You have not seen your greatest victories. You have not sung your best song. You have not written your best book. You have not played your best play. If you shake off the guilt, God has a one more time coming your way. He has something bigger, more rewarding than you’ve ever imagined.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the destiny that You have called me to fulfill. Thank You that You have redeemed me, and Your mercies cover my mistakes and failures. I’m going to keep moving forward knowing that You always have another ‘one more time’ for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Ken’s Comments:
Of course as a kid I heard the story about Samson lousing his power and sight do to a street woman’s professional manipulations. But when later I saw Victor Mature play the part of Samson it really came alive for me. Of course Hollywood also adds a lot of fiction but as a kid I really got the point. Came out in 1949, I was 17 and still going through hormone storms. It is a great study of character and of sowing and reaping and pride and humility, worth the time, I think. Amazon Available. So now when I think of Samson, Victor always comes to mind grinding grain for his enemies and being made sport of in the temple of their God and of course, God’s Forgiveness & Redemption. “There, But for the Grace of God, Go I” We are so prone to allow our Adamic nature to gain and have control over our actions and thoughts even when we know it goes into pain and division. Paul noted that in Romans 7:14- 25 “We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and nonspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. 15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. 16 Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17 So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 21 So I find it to be the law [of my inner self], that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully delight in the law of God in my inner self [with my new nature], 23 but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members. 24 Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? 25 Thanks be to God [for my deliverance] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness, my sinful capacity—I serve] the law of sin. And of course Paul does not leave us there but points us into Sanctification and Victory in Romans 8:5-8, “For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.” So is Jesus the center or is self the center of what you do? This is the test of our freewill to learn. Less painful to learn by the way of faith in God’s Truth. Your souls is eternal, question is, where are you headed and how do you know for sure????
Yours, in HIS great Love & Wonderful Grace and Mercy, Ken<>< www.trinity-aloha.org
Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com> A panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a local Florida ordinance Friday that prohibited licensed therapists from engaging in conversion therapy, ruling that banning the controversial practice that aims to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity violates therapists’ First Amendment rights. Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen flew to Saudi Arabia Sunday for a secret meeting with officials there, All Israel News (AIN) reports. Although the meeting has not been confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office, the news has caused speculation that, following Bahrain, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia may become the next Arab state to normalize relations with Israel. Qantas Airways Ltd. plans to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly, and said it’s likely to become a requirement at airlines across the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants other nations to adopt a coronavirus tracking system that uses QR codes to track travel during the pandemic.
Add / Delete: ken@trinity-aloha.org “Worth Considering” library is a link on our Homepage.
SANCTIFICATION OF SAMPSON, “WORTH CONSIDERING” 11/24/20
Today’s Scripture (Across my desk this morning from a church in Texas.)
Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” (Judges 16:28, NLT)
One More Time
Samson was given supernatural strength to deliver God’s people from their enemies and couldn’t be defeated, but he let his moral guard down and ended up losing his strength, was blinded, and made a slave. It was his fault, but God never gives up on us. One day while Samson was being ridiculed by his captors, he prayed for strength “just one more time,” and God gave Samson the strength to push the middle pillars of the temple, collapsing the building, and killing more enemies in his death than he had during his lifetime. You may have made mistakes, but that is not how your story ends. You have not seen your greatest victories. You have not sung your best song. You have not written your best book. You have not played your best play. If you shake off the guilt, God has a one more time coming your way. He has something bigger, more rewarding than you’ve ever imagined.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the destiny that You have called me to fulfill. Thank You that You have redeemed me, and Your mercies cover my mistakes and failures. I’m going to keep moving forward knowing that You always have another ‘one more time’ for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Ken’s Comments:
Of course as a kid I heard the story about Samson lousing his power and sight do to a street woman’s professional manipulations. But when later I saw Victor Mature play the part of Samson it really came alive for me. Of course Hollywood also adds a lot of fiction but as a kid I really got the point. Came out in 1949, I was 17 and still going through hormone storms. It is a great study of character and of sowing and reaping and pride and humility, worth the time, I think. Amazon Available. So now when I think of Samson, Victor always comes to mind grinding grain for his enemies and being made sport of in the temple of their God and of course, God’s Forgiveness & Redemption. “There, But for the Grace of God, Go I” We are so prone to allow our Adamic nature to gain and have control over our actions and thoughts even when we know it goes into pain and division. Paul noted that in Romans 7:14- 25 “We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and nonspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. 15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. 16 Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17 So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 21 So I find it to be the law [of my inner self], that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully delight in the law of God in my inner self [with my new nature], 23 but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members. 24 Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? 25 Thanks be to God [for my deliverance] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness, my sinful capacity—I serve] the law of sin. And of course Paul does not leave us there but points us into Sanctification and Victory in Romans 8:5-8, “For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.” So is Jesus the center or is self the center of what you do? This is the test of our freewill to learn. Less painful to learn by the way of faith in God’s Truth. Your souls is eternal, question is, where are you headed and how do you know for sure????
Yours, in HIS great Love & Wonderful Grace and Mercy, Ken<>< www.trinity-aloha.org
Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com> A panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a local Florida ordinance Friday that prohibited licensed therapists from engaging in conversion therapy, ruling that banning the controversial practice that aims to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity violates therapists’ First Amendment rights. Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen flew to Saudi Arabia Sunday for a secret meeting with officials there, All Israel News (AIN) reports. Although the meeting has not been confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office, the news has caused speculation that, following Bahrain, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia may become the next Arab state to normalize relations with Israel. Qantas Airways Ltd. plans to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly, and said it’s likely to become a requirement at airlines across the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants other nations to adopt a coronavirus tracking system that uses QR codes to track travel during the pandemic.
Add / Delete: ken@trinity-aloha.org “Worth Considering” library is a link on our Homepage.
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