Tag Archives: fornication

The Strange Case Of Samson, Part 2

Last week we saw Samson – a Nazarite from his mother’s womb (Judges 13:5) – infuriated because he lost a bet with a number of Philistines. His Philistine wife was threatened with being burned with fire (Judges 14:15) if she did not betray Samson’s trust and get the answer to the riddle he had given them. Samson’s wife wept before Samson and declared “you don’t love me” until he told her the answer to the riddle. Once she heard it, she told the Philistines – causing Samson to go home to his father (Judges 14:19).

Anything Without God Leads To Misery

Though Samson was supposed to be a Nazarite, dedicated to the service of God, he was a very poor Nazarite at best. Samson was absolutely NOT a good example of how a husband should treat his wife. Our Lord Jesus said of marriage:

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV) “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus was quoting from Genesis 2:24, and I am certain that Samson had seen that portion of Scripture. Yet he, in anger, left his wife. His first error in judgment was marrying outside of the faith. The Scripture says:… Continue reading

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where Will You Fill Your Cup?

If you value your life based only upon the things that you possess, then you will be apt to commit suicide if you lose your stuff. To elevate STUFF above the SOUL is foolish. When Job lost all his stuff he said, “the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”.

It is not what you POSSESS, but
WHO POSSESSES YOU that matters!

Word Study: “maliciousness” (Greek kakia) is “evil or wicked actions that the doer perceives without shame”. When the Sorcerer Simon sought to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles, Peter told him

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee

There is no evidence Simon ever repented – though he asked the Apostles to pray for him.

Word Study: “full of envy” (Greek mestos phthonos) means “to desire what another has”. The Pharisees delivered Jesus to Pilate for judgment because they envied His following (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). It is interesting that phthonos or envy of another precedes MURDER (Galatians 5:21), FIGHTING (1 Timothy 6:4), HATE CRIMES (Titus 3:3) and BACK BITING or SLANDER (1 Peter 2:1). We are not called to envy or desire what another person has. We as Christians are called to love and uplift others to the love of Christ. … Continue reading

Posted in Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment