Samson: Waste of Blessings?

Listen to the Chapel Message of Samson's Life

Everyone knows Samson.  At least, everyone knows of Samson.  Even people who have never read the Bible or heard the account of Samson's life associate the name Samson with "strength and power".  There was more to the life of Samson than just his incredible strength and power.

Samson was a special child.  His mother was sterile and couldn't have children.  Then one day an angel of the LORD appeared to her.  He told her that she was going to have a baby.  After he had given her very specific directions and revealed the plan for her son, the angel left her.

She ran and told her husband, Manoah, all about the angel of the LORD.  Manoah, was a godly man.  His first inclination was to pray to God and ask for the angel to return to teach them how to raise the boy.  God heard this prayer and sent the angel of the LORD back to Manoah and his wife.

Samson was to be a Nazirite, which meant that he would be set apart to God from birth.  Samson was a special gift from God.  God had a plan for Samson and gave him many gifts and talents.  Unfortunately, Samson didn't appreciate his Nazirite vow or who was the source of all of his gifts and talents.  He was a guy who fell head-long into the trap of sinful pride and self-indulgence.

First, his vow:

• He wasn't to eat anything that comes from the grapevine.
• He was not to drink wine or any fermented drink, or eat anything unclean.
• He seems to be a guy that liked to party.
• He ate honey from the carcass of a lion.
• He frequented prostitutes.
• He married two Philistine women.  
• No razor was to be used on his head.

Samson's abundance of gifts included:  Being set apart for God from birth, super-human strength, athleticism, and a sharp wit.  All of these only seemed to have fueled his pride and ego.  Samson seems to have been spoiled as a child.  When he sees a beautiful Philistine woman, he tells his parents to get her for him as a wife.  They protest a bit, but they quickly give in and indulge his demand.  This lead to all sorts of problems for Samson, but it was all according to God's plan.

This marriage would lead to  a life-time of conflict and battle with the Philistines.  Every time the Philistines angered him or he felt disrespected by them, he would kill a lot of them.  Unfortunately, most of the war that Samson waged against the Philistines was a personal vendetta.  It was always about his glory, his respect, his reputation.  There was always a violent reaction to any slight against him.  Granted, the slights against him were significant, but Samson's reaction was to kill as many Philistines as he possibly could.  Of course, this was God using Samson to bring judgment on the Philistines.

Eventually, though, Samson's arrogance would get the best of him.  When he told Delilah that the source of his strength was his hair it was the beginning of the end for him.  I believe that he truly believed that his hair had nothing to do with it.  I believe that he truly thought all of his impressive abilities were from himself.  But as he quickly found out, all of his abilities were from God.  His hair was just a symbol of his commitment to his vow.  When he allowed his hair to be cut he cut the last strand that was holding him to his Nazirite vow.  It shows how he was totally trusting in himself and his abilities.  He foolishly turned to himself and away from God.

Do you ever wonder what kind of leader Samson would have been for Israel had he honored his vow and committed his life to serving the Lord?  With his strength, his abilities as a warrior, and his intelligence I can see him being the type of leader that could have led Israel to fulfilling God's command to drive out all of the people from Canaan, the Promised Land.  Had he been faithful, he could have completely changed the course of history for Israel, and for us.  Thankfully, God uses even our failures to His glory.  "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

In Judges 13-16 we see how Samson wasted his incredible gifts and abilities.  The question is, what gifts has God given you that you are wasting every day?  The quickest way to spot these are by looking at where you are being selfish and self-serving in your life.  Whether you have been given a lot or a little, everything that you have been given is for the glory of the Lord.  God hasn't given us our blessings to use to glorify ourselves.  They are all to be used for His glory.

Thankfully, God knows our shortcomings.  He knows that we can't do this perfectly.  That's why He sent Jesus.  Jesus did do this perfectly.  Everything He did was to glorify His Father in heaven.  As we strive to follow His example we will come up short every time.  That is why Jesus did it perfectly, and then He sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay the price for all of our shortcomings.  He paid the price for all of our sins.  His blood has washed us clean from all of our selfishness and foolishness.  We all have a perfect Savior in Jesus Christ.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week: The Speed of Trust

How you go about achieving results is as important as the results themselves, because when you establish trust, you increase your ability to get results the next time.
(The Speed of Trust, p. 40, Covey)

Obedience Is A Sign of Love

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John 14:15

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

There is a very interesting relationship between obeying earthly authorities and obeying God's authority.  If you stop and think about it, they are actually the same thing.  No one on earth has any authority that hasn't been given to them by God.  Even Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  God, who is the ultimate authority, gives people their authority.  

Sadly, some choose to abuse the power and authority that they have been given.  Even when this is the case, we are still commanded to obey and submit to their authority.  The best example of this is Jesus before Pilate:

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace.  "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  "Do you refuse to speak to me?  Don't you realize I have the power to either free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.  Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." -John 19:7-11

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent of any crime.  Pilate didn't want to have anything to do with his death.  Yet he still gave the order for Jesus to be crucified.  In this interaction you need to picture the scene:

Jesus has been flogged, almost to death.  He has been beaten and pulverized constantly for the last eight hours.  He is bloody.  His back has been torn to ribbons.  His face is swollen, bloody, and discolored.  His eyes are practically swollen shut.  He looks totally pathetic and defeated.

When Pilate asks this question I picture Jesus just rolling his head toward Pilate and giving this response.

This is the ultimate picture of perfect obedience.  This is a beautiful picture of submission and love.  Jesus submitted Himself to the Father's plan of salvation.  He submitted to the authority that had been given to Pilate.  He loved us enough to do it.  He loved Pilate enough to give him this one last shot at repentance.

Imagine how your life would change if you honored the authorities in your life the way that God commands.  Wives, what if you truly submitted to your husband as to the Lord?  Employees, what if you submitted to your boss's authority the way that Scripture commands?  Citizens, what if you actually submitted to the governing authorities instead of slandering them?

God gives a promise about what our lives would look like:  Honor your father and mother that it may go well with you, and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.  God wants to bless us.  That's one of the reasons He gave us the Ten Commandments.  He wants us to know His expectations so we can strive to live according to His will.  This is how we show our love to God.  

Obedience ultimately come down to this:  Rebellion against any earthly authority is rebellion against God.  The only time it is okay for us to disobey earthly authorities is when they make rules/laws that would make us sin against God.

Here are some sections of Scripture that will help you understand what God's Word has to say on this subject:

• Romans 13
• Ephesians 5:22-33
• Ephesians 6:1-9
• 1 Peter 3
• John 14:23-24

1 Peter 2:13-25

Submit to Every Authority

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the king as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those who have been sent by him to punish those who do what is wrong and to praise those who do what is right. 15 For this is God’s will: that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Do this as free people, and do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but use it as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.[a] Fear God. Honor the king.

Slaves and Masters

18 Slaves, submit to your masters with total respect, not only to those who are good and kind but also to those who are harsh. 19 For this is favorable:[b] if a person endures sorrows while suffering unjustly because he is conscious of God. 20 For what credit is it to you if you receive a beating for sinning and patiently endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is favorable with God.

21 Indeed, you were called to do this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you[c] an example so that you would follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit a sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 23 When he was insulted, he did not insult in return. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree so that we would be dead to sins and alive to righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you are now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

God bless 

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week: The Innovator

Pretty much all great achievers since...ever...have a story of facing major challenges and rising above difficulties.  They literally turned those circumstances into lessons, motivations, and even opportunities.  Leaders aren't leaders because they never had serious disadvantages or setback.  In fact, the opposite is true.

(The Innovator, p. 79, Leadership Essential Series)

Watch Your Mouth

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Proverbs 15:4

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

What does it mean to have a perversion in our tongues?  The dictionary defines perversion this way:  The alteration of something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended.  The original perversion took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve's sin perverted their relationship with God.  In regards to speech, God lays out His definition of undistorted speech in Philippians 4:8.  Does your speech match God's definition, or does it pervert and distort what God calls good? (Character Matters, p. 10, Dr. Steve and Megan Scheibner)

There a a number of ways that a "soothing tongue" can be a tree of life.  There is encouragement, compliments, edification, words of comfort, words of love, a soft and loving tone, forgiveness, understanding, etc.  

There are just as many ways that a "perverse tongue can crush the spirit":  Lying, cursing, vulgarity, course joking, gossip/slander, verbal abuse, yelling, belittling, betraying a confidence, etc.

I like how the Scheibner's go all the way back to the Garden of Eden to begin the conversation of perverse speech.  Think about it.  Satan's first attack was a verbal assault on God's Word, "Did God really say?"

Then Eve indulged him by exaggerating what God had actually said.  The conversation spiraled downward from there.

The same is true for us.  You probably have people in your life whom you are more prone to perverse speech when you are around.  This is one of the reasons why we have to watch our associations closely.  It is an easy trap to fall into.  We automatically talk like the people we are around.

Words are amazingly powerful.  Unfortunately, most people don't wield that power with much responsibility.  That's why we need to.  Shower words on people with your soothing tongue.  Be intentional about your words being a "tree of life".  You have to do this in conjunction with eliminating the habit of using your words to crush spirits.  This isn't either/or.  It takes both.  Increase your soothing words with everyone, while also eliminating the perverse words that crush the spirit.

Let's finish with two passages of Scripture.  One tells us how God wants us to speak.  The other is a warning against what perverse speech looks (sounds) like.

Ephesians 5:4-5

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure:  No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a person is an idolater--has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week: John 15:18-19

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me[Jesus] first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.- John 15:18-19

Paybacks Are A ...

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Have you ever had a friend that was known for having a spirit of retaliation?  It is easy to want to "get back" at someone when we have been wounded or wronged, but God's Word instructs us to behave differently.  Choosing the road of retaliation builds a harsh and unapproachable emotional wall.  God wants his children to bring forgiveness and healing to hurting situations, not a tit-for-tat attitude.  Entrust your grievances to God; he will take care of you! (Character Matters, Dr. Steve and Megan Scheibner)

Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."-Proverbs 24:29

What is the result of retaliation?  Does it resolve anything, really?  Where does it end?
The reality is that retaliation and vendettas don't solve anything.  They only work to escalate the problem.  This happens because each time someone decides to "get back" at someone else, the other person then feels justified to strike back.  Only this time the response has to be more severe- a  pathetic attempt to try to intimidate the other person into submission.  You see this most tragically with street gangs.  The stupidity builds upon itself until people end up dead and low self-esteem thugs end up in prison.

Retaliation is birthed out of low self-esteem and selfishness.  Sadly, these people who are trying to demonstrate strength and courage are revealing the exact opposite.  They are showing their fear to the world.  They are broadcasting that they are afraid that they're not good enough; that they're not strong enough, not smart enough, that they just don't have what it takes to cut it in the world.  They are still scared little kids hiding under the bed, and they don't want you to know it.

The sad thing is that people who foster the attitude of revenge and bitterness are only destroying themselves.  The more they feed their fear and hostility the worse it gets.  The stronger the hold it gets over them.  The stronger the hold that Satan has on their heart.  Hanging on to slights and hurts kills people.  It makes them angry and bitter.  It allows Satan to keep their focus on themselves and off the cross of Christ.

Forgiveness is the solution, but why should we forgive?
The better question is:  Where would we be if Jesus had had an attitude of retaliation instead of forgiveness?
The answer is simple:  We would be doomed.  There would be no salvation had Jesus selfishly sinned like that.  If getting even was more important to Jesus than God's plan of salvation, he would have never come into the world.  He would have let us get what we deserve, but thankfully Jesus loves us, and didn't suffer from the selfish attitude of retaliation and revenge.  He lived a perfect life and showed us exactly how to handle personal attacks and injustice.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

"He committed no sin,

And no deceit was found in his mouth."

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.- 1 Peter 2:21-23

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Quote of the Week- Isaiah 8:19

When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?- Isaiah 8:19

Family Traditions

What are some of your family traditions?
What do they commemorate?
Who started them?  Why?

Most family traditions we take for granted.  We don't stop and think about those questions very often, but the reality is that someone started them for a reason.  Family traditions are a great way to keep family history alive, if we talk about where the tradition came from, who started it, and why they started it.

I have to confess that I have never given any thought to my family's traditions.  Most of out traditions were centered around celebrating holidays, but I just always figured, "That's how you celebrate Christmas.  That's how you celebrate Thanksgiving."
Even when I got older and began to realize that my friends didn't celebrate holidays the same way as my family, I never really stopped to consider why that was.  It never dawned on me that someone started our traditions, and for a reason.

God is the One who started traditions and ceremonies.  He wanted His people to remember the promises He had made them, and also how He fulfilled many of them.  He also wanted His people to talk about them and pass them on from generation to generation.  This is where I have dropped the ball with family traditions.  We just don't talk about where they came from as a family.

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[a] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”- Joshua 4:19-24

After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter Canaan, God commanded Joshua to set up a monument to this event.  This monument wouldn't just give the people an opportunity to tell future generations about what happened here, at the Jordan.  This would also be their opportunity to tell their children about how God delivered their ancestors from slavery in Egypt.

God is intentional about His monuments and traditions.  From this monument at the Jordan to the Passover to the wearing of clothes.  All of these things show how God has loved His people in the past, but they also ensure us that He will fulfill all of His promises that have not yet been fulfilled.  And God wants us to tell the next generations.  We need to pass it on.  Not just the traditions, but more importantly, what they mean.  We need to talk about their significance.

As we begin to approach the holiday season, I encourage you to start thinking through your family traditions.  Talk about them.  Start some new ones.  Thank God for all of the blessings He has given you, and your ancestors before you.

God bless
Jason Fredrick