Samson visits a prostitute in Gaza                      verse 1- 2 

Then went Samson to Gaza and saw there a harlot – and went in to her

            and it was told the Gazites

saying –

 Samson is come hither

and they compassed him in

and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city

and were quiet all the night

saying

In the morning – when it is day – we shall kill him 

Samson leaves Gaza at Midnight                        verse 3 

And Samson lay till midnight – and arose at midnight

            and took the doors of the gate of the city – and the two posts

                        and went away with them – bar and all

                                    and put them on his shoulders

                        and carried them up to the top of a hill

that is before Hebron 

Philistines ask Delilah to entice Samson             verse 4- 5 

And it came to pass afterward

that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek

whose name was Delilah

And the lords of the Philistines came up to her

and said to her

Entice him – and see wherein his great strength lies

and by what means we may prevail against him

      that we may bind him to afflict him

and we will give you every one of us

eleven hundred pieces of silver 

Delilah asks Samson regarding strength             verse 6 

And Delilah said to Samson

            Tell me – I pray you – wherein your great strength lies

                        and wherewith you might be bound to afflict you 

Samson gives wrong answer: seven green withes verse 7- 9 

And Samson

said to her

IF they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried

            THEN shall I be weak and be as another man

THEN the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes

            which had not been dried – and she bound him with them

NOW there were men lying in wait – abiding with her in the chamber

and she said to him

The Philistines be upon you- Samson

And he brake the withes

as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire

So his strength was not known 

Delilah’s second request regarding strength       verse 10- 12 

And Delilah said to Samson

            BEHOLD – you have mocked me – and told me lies

                        now tell me – I pray you

wherewith thou might be bound

And he said to her

            IF they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied

                        THEN shall I be weak – and be as another man

Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith

and said to him

The Philistines be on you Samson

And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber

and he brake them from off his arms like a thread 

Samson gives third wrong answer: weave hair   verse 13- 14 

And Delilah said to Samson

            Hitherto you have mocked me – and told me lies

                        tell me wherewith you might be bound

And he said to her

            IF you weave the seven locks of my head with the web

And she fastened it with a pin – and said to him

            The Philistines be on you – Samson

And he awaked out of his sleep

            and went away with the pin of the beam

and with the web                  

 Delilah nags Samson for right answer                 verse 15- 17 

And she

said to him

How can you say – I love you – when your heart is not with me?

you have mocked me these three times

      and have not told me wherein your great strength lies

And it came to pass – when she pressed him daily with her words

and urged him – so that his soul was vexed to death

That he told her all his heart

and said to her

There has not come a razor on mine head

for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother’s womb

IF I be shaven – THEN my strength will go from me

and I shall become weak – and be like any other man 

Delilah shaved Samson’s head                            verse 18- 19 

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart

she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines

saying

Come up this once

for he has showed me all his heart

THEN the lords of the Philistines came up to her

and brought money in their hand

And she made him sleep upon her knees – and she called for a man

and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head

And she began to afflict him – and his strength went from him 

LORD left Samson                                              verse 20 

And she said

The Philistines be on you – Samson

And he awoke out of his sleep

and said

I will go out as at other times before

and shake myself

And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him 

Philistines take out eyes of Samson                     verse 21 

BUT the Philistines took him – and put out his eyes

and brought him down to Gaza

and bound him with fetters of brass

                  and he did grind in the prison house 

Samson’s hair grows back                                   verse 22 

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again

after he was shaven 

Samson taken to victory celebration                   verse 23- 25 

THEN the lords of the Philistines gathered them together

for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god

and to rejoice – for they said

Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy

into our hand

And when the people saw him – they praised their god

for they said

Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy

and the destroyer of our country

which slew many of us

And it came to pass – when their hearts were merry

that they said

Call for Samson

that he may make us sport

And they called for Samson out of the prison house

            and he made them sport

                        and they set him between the pillars 

Samson asked to be placed at pillars                   verse 26- 27 

And Samson

said to the lad that held him by the hand

Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands

that I may lean on them

NOW the house was full of men and women

            and all the lords of the Philistines were there

            and there were upon the roof about three thousand

men and women

that beheld while Samson made sport 

Samson prays for renewed strength                    verse 28- 30 

And Samson called to the LORD

and said

O Lord GOD – remember me – I pray YOU – and strengthen me

I pray YOU – ONLY this once – O God

that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for

my two eyes

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars

on which the house stood

and on which it was borne up

of the one with his right hand

and of the other with his left

And Samson said

            Let me die with the Philistines

And he bowed himself with all his might

and the house fell on the lords

                        and on all the people that were therein

SO the dead which he slew at his death were more than

they which he slew in his life 

Samson buried by family                                    verse 31 

THEN his brethren and all the house of his father came down

            and took him – and brought him up

                        and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the

burying place of Manoah his father

And he judged Israel twenty years 

COMMENTARY:               

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers 

: 5        And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, “Entice him,” and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give you every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. (6601 “entice” [pathah] means to provoke someone to do something through deception or persuasion, seduce, fool oneself, be naïve, be open to deception, or gullible)

DEVOTION:  Woman can either have a good influence over a man or a bad influence over a man. The same is true the other way around. The LORD wants us to be good influences over those we love. HIS desire is for every man and woman to marry someone who loves HIM. Both parties need to work together for good in any relationship including marriage.

Here we have a woman who is being influenced by the five rulers or lords of the Philistines to find out the reason for the strength of Samson for evil. They want to kill him. They want to destroy him and are willing to give a large amount of money to the woman that can get the information for them.

There have always been enemies to those who are trying to serve the LORD. Samson was one that had his faults because he didn’t work within the standards of the LORD. He seemed to like women but not marry them which is what the LORD requires of those who follow HIM. Before there can be any marital relationships there should be a marriage. This was not happening.

So Delilah’s whole purpose was to find the weakness of Samson and tell the rulers of the Philistines for money. She didn’t love him but wanted to use him to make herself rich.

God has a plan for one man and one woman to marry for the rest of their life. HIS plan is always right. Both men and women need to wait until they are married before they have any sexual relationship. It seems to be an outdated belief even for believers but that is what the LORD wants from each individual today.

Watch out for those who just want to entice you to do what is wrong in the eyes of the LORD. It will not only cause problems in the present but also in the future.

CHALLENGE:  Work with the plan God has for both men and women. 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers 

: 16      And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death (6693 “pressed” [tsuwq] means compressed, oppress, distress, to constrain, or bring into straits)

DEVOTION:  Here we find a man that is called of God to be a judge in Israel. He is a man given to lust after women who are not Israelites. He married a woman and then walked away because she had told her countrymen the solution to the riddle then returned and used her as an excuse to stir up the Philistines.

Now we find him going in to a harlot. Almost gets caught by the Philistines but escapes.

Finally, he falls in love with Delilah. She is more concerned with earning money from her fellow Philistines than caring about Samson. She asks him three times for the secret to his strength. He gives her three false answers. He is playing with her.

However, she really starts nagging him for the answer because she is tired of waiting for her money. After she oppresses him hard daily he gives in to her. He gives her the answer she wants.

Why would the LORD call a judge, such as this man? We have the Holy Spirit indwelling him many times in these three chapters to give him strength to fight the Philistines. We have him mentioned in the faith chapter of Hebrews (11:32). He is a man of faith but also a sinful man. In this final chapter on his life, he prays to the LORD for strength to defeat the Philistines. The LORD gives him the strength.

What does this tell us about God? HE is willing to use those HE has called in spite of their failures. Samson was a failure who trusted in the LORD for his strength and for water when he needed it. He was a man of prayer. He was a judge in Israel.

We find ourselves sometimes being talked into something we know we shouldn’t be doing because the person keeps bugging us. We need to learn from what happened to Samson regarding people who want us to make decisions without all the facts. We want to realize that we are not called to be people pleasers. We are here to please the LORD.

Samson knew she was trying to get his secret but it didn’t seem to sink in “why.” We need to find out the “why” of other people.

A practice that seems good is to tell a person pressuring us to make a decision quick is to tell him to wait twenty-four hours for a decision. It gives us time to pray, about any decision, we are not sure the LORD wants us to make. Trust the LORD.

As we look over the men that God has called to serve HIM, we find that they are all sinners. They were men that HE had called and HE made sure that HE was with them to fulfill their calling. HE is with us throughout our life to see that we fulfill HIS calling for us. HE didn’t give up on Samson. HE will not give up on us.

CHALLENGE: Realize that God calls sinners to serve. We are sinners saved by grace to serve. Serve the LORD in spite of your failures!!! Don’t give up on prayer. Samson didn’t!!

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: 20      And she said, The Philistines be on your, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. (3045 “wist” [yada} means to know, learn, to reveal, to perceive, understand, find out and discern, or to discriminate.)

DEVOTION:  One of the characteristics of the Old Testament seems to be that the Holy Spirit can come on people and use them and then depart from them. David prayed for the Holy Spirit not to leave him. Here we see that the Holy Spirit did leave Samson because of his revealing the reason for his strength. It was also because of sin in his life. He enjoyed the love of a woman more than the love of God. He was an individual who knew who gave him strength and yet was willing to tell someone who didn’t love the LORD the truth about his gift without thinking there was going to be any consequences.

We can fall into the same trap when we decide we love someone or something more than the LORD. It is a trap that starts out where we can stay true to the LORD but eventually we give in to the individual or possession or position we really want no matter what.

Samson seemed to love this woman more than his own life but he had the thought that the LORD would never leave him or forsake him because he was HIS servant. He was not acting like HIS servant and the LORD had to chasten him to get his attention. HE will do the same to us if we fall into a trap of the enemy.

In the New Testament we are promised that HE will never leave us or forsake us but HE will correct or chasten us when we start walking a path away from HIM. The New Testament informs us that HE will send weakness, sickness and even pre-mature death to us if we are disobedient in our examining of ourselves during our taking part in a communion service in the local church. Genuine believers have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that never leaves. The filling of the Holy Spirit takes constant obedience. The filling can leave but the indwelling of genuine believers will never leave now.

HE is the only one who knows for sure our relationship with HIM, we can fake our relationship with Jesus Christ in front of others but not in front of HIM.

CHALLENGE: Remember to trust in the LORD will your whole heart. Our inner relationship is what counts with the LORD. It expresses itself in our outer actions.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers 

: 23      Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand”. (8057 “rejoice” [simchah] means joy, gladness, mirth, gaiety, pleasure, happy issue, or jubilance) 

DEVOTION:  Those who don’t know the LORD know how to celebrate. In fact, they enjoy celebrating when something bad happens to a believer in many places in society. There are governments who enjoy closing churches and putting believers in jail just for believing in Jesus Christ.

Everyone worships a god. There are thousands of false gods around the world. The gods of America could be the internet, positions, sports, money or possessions to name a few. People feel that if they have any of these or some of those they don’t need to be concerned about the one true God of the Bible.

The Philistines thought this way. They had Samson where they wanted him. He had given them trouble for over twenty years as a judge in Israel who kept the Philistines at bay. Now they had captured him and credited to their false god. The truth is that Samson had sinned and the LORD was dealing with his sin.

Samson’s hair started to grow again and the LORD renewed his strength. There celebration ended with their death at the hands of Samson. He was given by the LORD his final victory of killing over three thousand, of Israel’s enemies.

The world has the ability to make fun of believers until the LORD returns. So, this will not end. We have the LORD on our side. HE can give us victories in spite of the fact that the world seems to be winning most of the time over believers.

CHALLENGE: The celebration of those outside of Christ is short lived. Our rejoicing lasts for eternity in heaven with the Godhead. Praise HIS name.

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: 28      And Samson called to the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I prayer YOU, and strengthen me, I pray YOU, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. (5358 “avenged” [naqam] means revenge, the act of harming someone in return for an injury or offense, recompense, punish, or to entertain revengeful feelings)

DEVOTION:  Here we have the end of the life of Samson who judged Israel for twenty years. He was not exactly a judge who did things the way the LORD wanted him too but the LORD used him because his heart was right with him.

This is the final act of Samson. He wanted his strength back, so that, he could kill many Philistines who were celebrating in the temple of their false god because they thought they had defeated the one true God’s servant.

The LORD allowed Samson to regain his strength for one last act of dealing with those who were oppressing the children of Israel.

Samson prayed for the strength and the LORD gave him what he needed to complete his work as a judge of Israel.

The LORD wants us to use our strength for HIM in our daily life. HE wants us to use the strength to serve HIM fully. HE wants us to use our strength to help others serve HIM.

We find that one of Samson’s final acts was to pray for strength. He reminded the LORD that he was HIS servant. He wanted to serve the LORD with his last act in life. That was his prayer.

What is our prayer as we get older in the LORD? Do we want to serve HIM with at least one final act of service? What can that be?

The LORD has gifted every genuine believer with a gift to serve HIM in the local church and in the community. What is your gift from the LORD?

CHALLENGE: Find out what the LORD wants you to do as you increase in age that will grow HIS kingdom.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY 

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone) 

SOUL 

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God) 

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level) 

Samson prays strength                                             verse 28 

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

God – Elohim (Creator)                                                         verse 17,                                                                                                                         28

      LORD (GOD) – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 20,                                                                                                                               28

Lord – Adonai (Master)                                                       verse 28

Lord GOD                                                                              verse 28 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation) 

Gaza                                                                                      verse 1

Gazites                                                                                 verse 2

Valley of Sorek                                                                  verse 4

                        Delilah                                                                              verse 4- 20

                                    1,100 pieces of silver each

                                    Told to entice Samson for 1,100 pieces of silver

                                    Asked where he had his strength

                                                Seven green withs

                                                New rope

                                                Fasten hair with pin

                                                Razor to head

                                    Paid money                                                        verse 18                                  

                        Lords of the Philistines                                                verse 5, 8, 18,                                                                                                                                 23- 27

                                    Asked Delilah to entice Samson

                                    Gave Delilah money

Great sacrifice to Dagon their god

Want to make sport of Samson                                   

Philistines                                                                     verse 9, 12, 14,                                                20, 21, 23,                                                    28,  30

Took Samson to prison house                                   verse 21

People praised their false god: Dagon                    verse 24

Enemy                                                                          verse 24

Three thousand worshiping false god                  verse  27      

                 Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Harlot                                                                           verse 1

Kill                                                                                verse 2

Entice                                                                          verse 5

Afflict                                                                           verse 5, 6, 19

Lies                                                                              verse 10, 13

Mock                                                                           verse 13, 15

False god: Dagon                                                       verse 23, 24

Make sport of Samson                                             verse 25, 27 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Strengthen                                                                verse 28 

Israel (Old Testament people of God)  

Samson                                                                    verse 1- 31

            Took doors of gates of Gaza

            His soul was vexed to death

Nazarite

Shave seven locks of his head

Hair began to grow back

Asked to be placed between two pillar

Samson’s prayer                                                                     

Samson judged Israel twenty years   

                        Brethren and house of Samson’s father

                                    Buried him between Zorah and

                                    Eshtaol                                                          verse 31                                 

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

31 The “brothers” who buried Samson may have been relatives from the tribe of Dan (cf. 14:3). The “father’s family” was a more restricted group than a clan but broader than our Western conception of a family. Samson was laid to rest in the region where he had grown up and was given the honor of burial in his father’s tomb (cf. 8:32).

Samson was ranked among the heroes of the faith (Heb 11:32). Yet he failed to live up to his great gifts. Unable to conquer himself, he was ruined by his own lusts. He stands as a tragic example of a man of great potential who lacked stability of character. Still, God in his sovereignty used him. Samson did much to hamper the oppressive actions of the Philistines, and his final victory in the temple of Dagon may have been a factor in the defeat of the Philistines at Mizpah shortly thereafter (1 Sam 7:7–14). (Wolf, H. (1992). Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 479). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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16:31. Samson’s whole family (his brothers) who had not been mentioned till this incident (went down to Gaza and brought Samson’s body back for burial between Zorah (his birthplace, 13:2) and Eshtaol (cf. 13:25; 18:2, 8, 11) in Manoah’s tomb. Thus ended Samson’s 20 years of judgeship over Israel (cf. 15:20). Though Samson had great ability and was endowed with physical power by the Holy Spirit, he gave in to temptation several times and suffered the consequences. His life is a stern warning to others who are prone to follow the path of sensuality. (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Judges. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 408). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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16:29, 30 Some Philistine temples had roofs overlooking a courtyard, above wooden columns planted on stone foundations. The central pillars were set close to furnish extra support for the roof. Here the victory celebration and taunts flung at the prisoner below drew a big crowd. The full strength of Samson, renewed by God, enabled him to buckle the columns. As a result, the roof collapsed and the victory was Israel’s, not Philistia’s. He died for the cause of his country and his God. He was not committing suicide, but rather bringing God’s judgment on His enemies and willing to leave his own life or death to God. He was the greatest champion of all Israel, yet a man of passion capable of severe sin. Still, he is in the list of the faithful (cf. Heb 11:32). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jdg 16:29). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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Ver. 31. Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down, &c.] To Gaza, having heard of what had befallen him there. This must be understood of his kindred and near relations, those of his father’s family; though it is not unlikely that he had brethren in a proper sense, since though his mother was barren before his birth, yet afterwards might have many children, as Hannah had, whose case was similar to her’s: and took him and brought him up; took his body out of the ruins of the house, and brought him up on a bier, or some proper carriage, to his own country; and perhaps in great funeral pomp, as a judge of Israel; nor need it be wondered at that the Philistines should admit of it, it being usual in all ages, and among all people, to allow even an enemy to bury their dead; besides Samson’s friends had done them no injury, only Samson himself, and the Israelites in general were quiet and peaceable under their government; add to this, they were now in distress themselves for their own dead, and might be in some fear of the Israelites falling upon them, and attempting to deliver themselves out of their hands, since their five lords were dead, and no doubt many more of their principal men with them; so that they might judge this was not a proper time to refuse such a favour, lest it should occasion a quarrel, which they were not in a condition to engage in; and had Israel taken this opportunity, in all likelihood they might have freed themselves from them: and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father; the former of these seems to have been his native place, and the other was near it; and between these the spirit of the Lord first began to move him, and here his father’s sepulchre was, in which he was laid; see ch. 13:2, 25. and he judged Israel 20 years; by distressing and weakening their enemies; and though he did not complete their deliverance out of their hands, yet no doubt their oppressions were fewer, and their burdens easier, on his account; the time of his judging Israel is observed before, ch. 15:20 and here repeated for the confirmation of it, and the rather because they were now ended by his death. Ben Gersom observes, that this is said to shew that the time that Samson dwelt in the land of the Philistines is included in these twenty years; some would infer from hence that he judged Israel 40 years, 20 in the days of the Philistines, as it is expressed in the above place; that is, when they had the dominion over Israel, and 20 more afterwards; but it does not appear that their dominion over Israel ceased in his time. In the Jerusalem Talmud it is also said that he judged Israel 40 years, but for it there is no foundation; nor is the reason given of any force, that the Philistines feared him 20 years after his death; the other Talmud^d says he judged Israel twenty-two years; but the word two is put into a parenthesis. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 367). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48
The salvation of men and women, and of certain of them in particular, was determined by God before the foundation of the world. He does this entirely according to His own good will and His grace. Read Matthew 11:25-26: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.” And in John 6:37 we read, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” In verse 44 our Lord says, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” In Acts 13:48 we read, “And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.”
Above all, realize that if you are a child of God, it is because God has determined it, and what He has determined about you is certain and safe and sure. Nothing and no one can ever take you out of His hands or make Him forego His purpose in respect to you. The doctrine of the eternal decrees of God before the foundation of the world has decreed this! He knew me. He knew you. And our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the world was ever made, before you and I or anybody else ever came into it.

Let us bow before His Majesty. Let us humble ourselves in His holy presence. Let us submit ourselves to the revelation that He has so graciously been pleased to give.
A Thought to Ponder: Nothing and no one can ever take you out of God’s hands or make Him forego His purpose in respect to you. (From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 101-102. By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God’s control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel’s enslavement, God was working to deliver them — through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God’s promises seems unlikely. Christ’s return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch — and be ready. (Quiet Walk)

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The Problem Within

Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Matthew 21:9

A few years ago, a woodpecker began tapping on the siding of our home. We thought the problem was only external. Then one day, my son and I climbed up a ladder into the attic only to have a bird fly past our startled faces. The problem was worse than we’d suspected: it was inside our house.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the crowd was hoping He would be the one to fix their external problem—their oppression by the Romans. They went wild, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). This was the moment they’d been waiting for; God’s appointed King had come. If God’s chosen Deliverer was going to begin reforming things, wouldn’t He start with all the wrong out there? But in most gospel accounts, the “triumphal entry” is followed by Jesus driving out exploitative moneychangers . . . from the temple (vv. 12-13). He was cleaning house, and from the inside out.

That’s what happens when we welcome Jesus as King; He comes to set things right—and He starts with us. He makes us confront the evil inside. Jesus on the donkey is like the warriors in the Trojan horse. The horse was welcomed as a symbol of peace, but its ultimate aim was unconditional surrender. Jesus our King requires the same from us.

By Glenn Packiam  – Our Daily Bread)

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THE RESULTS OF ADOPTION

I…will be your God, and you shall be my people.  Leviticus 26:12
The first result of our adoption I shall mention is that if we have the spirit of adoption, we have lost “the spirit of bondage again to fear” (Romans 8:15). Positively, in the second place, we have been given a spirit of liberty. In other words, we are no longer afraid of the law and its condemnation; we are no longer afraid of death; we are enjoying something of the glorious liberty of the children of God. Third, we receive this spirit of adoption through the indwelling Spirit.
But then in addition there are these results: Because we have been adopted into God’s family, we are entitled to bear His name. We can say that we are the children of God. We are members of the household of God. We belong to God’s family. God’s name is upon us. He has said, “I . . . will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:12). We are His people. Peter applies to Christians what God said to the nation of Israel of old: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
What else? Well, the fifth benefit is that we enjoy the present protection and consolation that God alone can give, and the provision that He makes for His children. “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7); nothing can happen to us apart from Him. The next benefit, at first, is not so pleasurable—fatherly chastisements. That is the whole argument of the first half of Hebrews 12: “For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives” (verse 6). He chastises His children, but not those who are not His children.
A Thought to Ponder: We are members of the household of God. We belong to God’s family.

              (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 187-188, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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The Elect of God
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” (Romans 8:33)
The doctrine of election is a key doctrine of Scripture, but it is also controversial, so any discussion of it should, mostly, let the Scriptures speak for themselves. The Greek and Hebrew words for the “elect” are the same as for the “chosen,” and it is clear that whenever the elect are mentioned, it is God, not man, who has done the choosing.
For example, Christ elected the 12 to be His apostles of His own volition. They are called, in fact, “the apostles whom he had chosen” (Acts 1:2). The Scriptures also speak of “the elect angels” (1 Timothy 5:21) and even of Christ Himself as being the “chief cornerstone, elect, precious” (1 Peter 2:6).
Most often, however, the term is applied to those who have been saved through faith in Christ and His substitutionary death, and they are said to have been “chosen…in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). Having been chosen, these elect ones are then, in the fullness of time, drawn to Christ. As He said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”; and He also said: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:44, 37). Finally, to make it crystal clear who does the choosing, Jesus said: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16).
None of this eliminates our individual responsibility to “make [our] calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10), but the grand purpose of this great doctrine is simply this: “Base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen….That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29).

                (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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President Biden on Monday signed an executive order overturning the Trump administration policy that limited transgender service in the military, saying in a statement that the U.S. is “safer” when everyone can serve. 

At issue was a Trump administration policy that required military personnel to serve in their biological sex, not their preferred gender. The Trump policy allowed current transgender personnel who didn’t meet the new standards at the time of its implementation to remain in the military.

Persons who had sex-reassignment surgery or were diagnosed with gender dysphoria were ineligible for the military under the Trump policy.

 

The Biden executive order reverses Trump and institutes the Obama-era policy, which allows individuals to serve openly under their gender identity. A biological man who identifies as a woman, for example, can serve alongside women under the new Biden policy. 

“Today, I repealed the discriminatory ban on transgender people serving in the military,” Biden said in a tweet. “It’s simple: America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride.”

The Biden order states: “It is my conviction as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces that gender identity should not be a bar to military service.”

A White House fact sheet on the new policy said “transgender servicemembers should know that they are accepted throughout the U.S. military.”

The White House quoted a 2016 study that found that “enabling transgender individuals to serve openly in the United States military would have only a minimal impact on military readiness.” 

That study, conducted by the non-profit Rand Corporation, found that there are an “estimated 1,320–6,630 transgender service members” but “not all will seek gender-transition-related treatment.”

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council, criticized the new policy. 

“Every cent spent on this politically correct exercise is money that could be used to prepare our troops for war,” Boykin said. “Every second wasted in ‘transgender sensitivity training’ is time that could be spent on the rifle range. I’m appalled that our commander-in-chief is more focused on appeasing special interest groups than on military readiness.”

Tony Perkins, a Marine veteran and the president of the Family Research Council, said in a statement that Biden is “diverting precious dollars from mission-critical training to something as controversial as gender reassignment surgery” for military personnel. Biden, Perkins said, is advancing the “far Left’s social agenda.”

“Political correctness doesn’t win wars, but the president is indulging dangerous and unproven theories that have the potential to undermine national security,” Perkins said. 

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