Samson was “A Nazarite unto God from the womb” (Judges 13:5). Though a strong man, he had weaknesses in his life. Delilah, a Philistine woman was determined to discover the secret of his great strength, which he later revealed (Judges 16:17). If his head were to be shaven, he would be as weak as any other man. The long hair was the visible sign of his consecration to God, an outward sign of his allegiance to God. The cutting of his hair was indication of the triumph of his weakness for Delilah over his allegiance to God. That is why God chose to remove His extraordinary power from him at the time his hair was cut.
The cause of Samson’s failure was his ungodly relationship with an unbeliever. Samson must have thought that he would win over Delilah. He won her body, but her heart was not with him. Like many, we think we can win over an unbelieving person, while forgetting that we are not the ones who save. And when he woke up, he went on the attack unaware that God was no longer with him, and he was as strong as any other man. His enemies held him fast and had his eyes gauged out. Even if he wanted to regain his eyes, he would never get his sight back.
How many, like Samson allow their carnal appetites to triumph over there allegiance to God? How many make marriages with ungodly people for no more than the reason of physical attraction, wealth, status, and empty promises? How many make marriages with unbelievers for no more than the reason of being tired to wait in the church for a husband or wife? Where is our patience, our faith in the Lord? God’s counsel remains unheeded, unsought for! Dear brothers and sisters, “I fear that somehow, you will be led away from the pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent” 2 Corinthians 11:3.
The Lord was clear and plain in His word that we should not unite our lives with unbelievers, and that we not to be led by the nose by our physical impulses. We should not unite ourselves with those who do not have the love of Christ abiding in them. “What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:15.
Samson, the strongest man who ever lived, found out that it takes more than physical strength to fight a spiritual war. It takes more than titles to fight a spiritual war. I fear that your spiritual war, which is against your lower nature, your carnal heart will be lost to the seductive pleadings of an unbeliever.
Union with unbelievers does not come by accident; it is the result of deliberate decision. Samson had decided to enter into an ungodly relationship with Delilah, and then, time after time, had taken the decision to continue with this unholy relationship. The consequences were bitter and unchangeable.
Until then, “Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity”. Colossians 4:5
We are responsible to God for all that we do, say or think. It is our responsibility to love God with all our hearts, our soul, our mind, and our strength, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. It is our responsibility to repent and believe; to turn to God from sin; to walk in the straight and narrow pathway of righteousness and holiness; and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world. We are to work out our own salvation with great fear and trembling, pray and seek God’s face, worship in spirit and in truth, and order our lived down here on earth in the fear of the Lord.
There is not a single word that God has spoken that can be compromised or that we are to treat as a joke. God can not be mocked. God has mapped a way of life for all who claim to be His children and that standard can not be lowered to suit our own desires. In all we ever think or do, we ought to remember that God is holy and righteous, and no doubt, if we are indeed His children, made bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh, we must also be holy.
There are those who say that if God has chosen a man to be saved, that man will be saved no matter he does or does not do. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:13 this is wrong. It reads, “…God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation and sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (KJV). It is very true that God chose them to be saved, but they must be sanctified by the Holy Spirit as well, and then they must BELIEVE the truth, who is Christ. Without this, that person can never go to heaven. For if a man does not believe the truth, he will perish, just as Jesus warns here in Luke 13:3 “unless you repent, you shall also perish”. Therefore, if a sinner does not repent, he shall not be saved.
Then there are those who say that if a man is a real Christian, no matter how he may live in the future, no matter how far or how long he may backslide, no matter what sins he may commit, he is still very sure of going to heaven. No, this is not true. The bible teaches us otherwise. For a man to get in heaven, he must walk in the only pathway that leads there - the pathway of righteousness and true holiness. God did not save us to give us liberty to walk in the indulgences of the flesh. Ephesians 1:4 says, “long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes” (NLT). And Hebrews 12:14, “try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life. For those who are not holy will not see the Lord”. And Romans 6:18 says, “Now you are free from your old master sin and you have now become a slave to your new master righteousness”. This means that we are now under the compulsion of walking in righteousness and failure to obey this master of ours automatically earns us the punishment, an eternal punishment in the fires of hell. According to 2 Timothy 1:9, “God saved us and chose us to live a holy life”. There is no way you can separate salvation from righteousness and holiness.
There are those who claim to be Christians but their lives do not differ from that of thousands of nonbelievers. Their walk is thoroughly ungodly, but they are quite sure they are bound for heaven. They say the accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior so many years ago, and “once saved, always saved” is their comfort. But if this is their basis for eternal life, they are on sinking ground. They are lost and need to repent, which is completely turning from living a sin-filled life. God’s word does not teach a man can be saved and then continue to live in his sins, his worldliness, and his self-will; for our God gives no such salvation. He saves us from our sins and not in them.
And then someone says, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1. But note what verse 5 says; “those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit”. And in verses 12 and 13, “dear brothers and sisters, you have an obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live”. The apostle Paul was writing to believers and not nonbelievers. In face, he says “they were called to belong to Christ” Romans 1:6.
There are those who also say, “Will God punish His beloved children in hell forever?” No, God’s children can never be found in hell. John 1:12 says, “But to all who believed in Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God”. Have you noticed it? The bible says he gave them the “RIGHT” to “BECOME” children of God. He did not make them His children, no, God points to our responsibility after we have believed and accepted Him. We now have the choice to become children of God. And God’s children must bear His character. That is the only way you can tell who their father is. While our Lord was preaching, he told his listeners that those who do evil have a different father. “For are the children of your father the Devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language. For he is a liar and the father of lies” John 8:44. Simply accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior will not make you a child of God when you do things centrally to what your Father does. In Romans 8:14, the bible adds, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God”. And the Holy Spirit will not lead you to tell lies, to steal, to commit adultery, to fornicate, to gossip, and to do any kind of evil, but it will only lead you to live a righteous and holy life. “You must display a new creature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous and holy” Ephesians 4:24.
Others say, “The Lord knows them that are His”, quoting 2 Timothy 2:19 which says, “But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this seal: The Lord knows them that are His. But the last part of this verse reads, “And those who claim to be in Lord must turn away from all wickedness”. The proof that I am in Christ is that I am daily departing from sin and not wallowing in it, calling myself a carnal Christian.
Hebrews 3:14 says, “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Once we are saved, we must strive to see that don’t loose it. As it written in Matthew 24:13, “only those who endure to the end will be saved". If you doubt me, here is Luke’s account in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 14:21-22 says, “After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers… They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must into the kingdom of God through many tribulations”.
God’s grace does not give us the liberty to walk in sin. After you have known the truth of God’s word, you must walk in it. If you continue in your old nature, you are trampling the blood of Jesus, the very blood that redeems you. What then will you be left with to wash clean your filth? What foolishness! “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but a terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies” Hebrews 10:27-28. And “When people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. They make these proverbs come true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit’, and ‘A washed pig returns to the mud’” 2 Peter 2:20-22. Jesus also told his disciples in Luke 9:62 that “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God”.
God finds it needful to warn us during this our time about such teachings that demean the value of salvation, a priceless gift, and teachings that compromise God’s grace. I warn everyone who reads these words. Stop sinning and from saying peace to your soul by calling yourself a carnal Christian; cease from your bitterness and unforgiving spirit, stop harboring hatred and resentment against others. For this will not lead to your salvation. Our God says in Hebrews 10:38 that “But if a man draws back, my soul shall not be pleased with him”.
In Luke 17:32, our Lord tells us not to forget what happened to Lot’s wife. “Remember what happened to Lot’s wife”. Do you remember? She looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. She went to hell. Jesus was referring to the Genesis 19:17 account “Run for your lives! The angel said. Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And do not look back! Escape to the mountains, or you will die”. Then in verse 26, “But Lot’s wife looked back and she turned into a pillar of salt”. She perished, she went to hell! What a warning for us today. God has called us out of the world and he commands us “Don’t look back”. But some want to look back to the world and its pleasures. Outwardly, they are out of Sodom, but their hearts are left back in that world. Think about the person giving this warning! He is so full of mercy and grace, His love for us endures forever, He does not want anyone of us to perish. But in His sovereign love he deems it necessary to give us this warning, “Remember what happened to Lot’s wife” she looked back and went to hell. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who did not heed this warning from Jesus indeed went to hell.
“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God” Hebrews 3:12.
Until then, let the peace of God reign in your hearts and minds.
Praise God! I am pleased to talk about this topic always, and most glad that I am sharing it with you this time. Many people have misunderstood the letters of the Apostle Paul, especially when it comes to issues about women and ministry and marriage as well. In fact, the Apostle Peter says that the many, even during his time, could not understand Paul's letters. (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Here are some of the scriptures that are wrongly understood.
(1 Corinthians 14:34) Paul instructs women not to speak in church, and again in (1 Corinthians 11: 5) he instructs women to cover their heads when praying and prophesying (Preaching or Teaching in the church), and in verse (1 Corinthians 11:3) he tells us that the husband is the head of his wife.
Let us understand here, that Paul is not referring the head to a part of the human body. He is referring to the husband, who is the head of the wife. And the wife is commanded not unveil her husband in her sermon to the church, but to portray Christ. in (1 Corinthians 11:4) the man is commanded not to cover his head when praying and prophesying, and the head of the man is Christ Jesus Himself. If I will base on this, Paul says a woman can preach, but must not uncover her husband. And Paul writing this letter, he was addressing the "order in the church and public". And the gift of prophesy is for edifying the church (1 Corinthians 14:3-4). If the women are told to cover their bodily heads, then why does Paul in (1 Corinthians 11:15) say that the woman's hair is her covering?
If language means something, is there a difference between the word "Speaking and (Prophesying/teaching/preaching)?
Throughout Scripture, we have seen vivid examples of women in ministry.
In Romans 16:1. Phoebe was a deacon in the church in Cenchrea.
In Luke 2:36, Anna was a prophet, and in verse 38, she talked about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for this King.
In Luke 8:47, this woman could not keep silent, after the master Himself asking her to speak. She felt the fire burning inside of her, the fire that would only be quenched after speaking out. And the crowd heard her words. She preached the good news, that Jesus saves and heals completely. How will she keep quiet when it burning inside of her?
In John 4:28, a woman went and preached to the whole village about the messiah who had come. In verse 42, they believed in Jesus when they saw Him. But how will the believe if they we not told and how will they tell unless they were sent (Romans 10:14-15). She led them to Jesus! What an act, countless people today are led to Christ by t he witness of women!
In John 20:17-18, a woman named Mary preached the good news about the resurrection of Christ to the disciples. This puzzles me, why didn't the angel go to the disciples first?
How about Deborah in the Old Testament, who was a prophet and a judge (Judges 4:4-5)
How about Rahab, whom God used to hide the spies in Jericho? Though she was a prostitute, she is one of the ancestors of Jesus, a woman whose faith was talked about by the Apostles in Hebrews 11:31. The faith and courage of Manoah's wife (Judges 13) Hannah (1 Samuel 1) Abigail (1 Samuel 25:31-35) Ruth was the Grandmother of King David from whose line comes the Messiah.
How we be so blind to realize that we are the last days, and that prophesy must be fulfilled as the Prophet Joel says, in Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass that afterward, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men shall see visions" And these are the days that God spoke of through His prophet.
God calls women to preach the gospel. There is no scripture in the bible that forbids women from preaching and teaching in the church, or outside of the church. We are all accountable to God, and we all belong to God. If God gives the grace, go and and preach, start a church and pastor it, and inflict fatal wounds on the devil. The one who lives in men, that same Spirit lives in women as well. And He is greater than all. He enables us all to do greater works.
Men, let your wives serve their Lord and Savior, he has given them freedom to take forth the message of salvation to the whole earth, to harvest souls for the master.
Until then, I love you all.
May the peace of God reign.
Everyday, we witness to hundreds of lost sinners and we see many of them yielding their lives to Jesus. Many continue experiencing the miraculous touch of the Lord, healing and deliverance from demonic oppression.
Everyday, we witness to hundreds of lost sinners and we see many of them yielding their lives to Jesus. Many continue experiencing the miraculous touch of the Lord, healing and deliverance from demonic oppression.
