Lesson to learn:  You need to keep the right Godly attitude

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,       Note: There will, indeed, still be eating and drinking in the future kingdom (Matthew 6:25; Revelation 22:2), as there is in its present phase, but its essence is now and shall always be, not material, but spiritual.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what  ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Now that Christmas is over, what do we do?  The gifts are all opened.  The gift wrap and boxes all picked up, and stuffed into the trash bag for the trash truck to pick up this week, and hopefully we won’t go over our limit on trash bags.

The family and friends have or will be heading home soon.  The house seems to have lost its holiday atmosphere.  And now, we’re soon facing the task of taking down the tree and the decorations soon.  Pine needles all over the place and stuck in the carpet…So,  then the tree either goes out onto the trash, or gets stuffed back into its box.

The colored lights will soon to be unplugged, and taken off the house, and will  either be neatly stored, if you’re a compulsive like me…or just thrown into a bag and untangled next year.

So, that brings me to a reflective question…Have you ever asked yourself the question… “Is this all there is to Christmas?” Is the spirit of Christ and His birth just a once a year thing?

I suppose if we try to answer that based on a materialistic mindset, and judging from the return lines you’ll see if you venture out to the mall tomorrow, there’s good reason to think that Christmas is not much more than  another seasonal commercial money making time for merchants, and a seasonal shopping time for all the rest of us.
Personally, I want more. Because IF all Jesus means to me, is just a ‘once a year celebration’ and giant spending spree on gifts to be given, and food to be eaten, then that is going to leave me drained, and empty.
So, how can I go through Christmas and the months to follow, and keep my own lights of Christ in me burning brightly?  For the Christian, it has everything to do with our attitude and perspective.  You see, …if we see Christmas from the ‘kingdom’ perspective, then we’ll discover how to keep some of that glow of Christ in us shining out of our lives for the rest of the year.

In fact, as we look at this passage, we find that Paul was actually addressing a very specific problem that was plaguing the Roman believers. It was a problem of allowing externals to get in the way. It was the problem of allowing things like eating and drinking, and celebrating, or traditions, or whatever to get in the way of the joy and peace, and righteousness that should  be present instead in our lives.

So Paul, in fact, is addressing a kingdom principle…a principle that if we adhere to it, and put it into practice in our lives, will help keep Christ’s peace, joy and righteousness in our lives forever.

That practice is accepting the Holy Spirit into your life.  We must allow it to transform our live in every aspect.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Freedom must be guided by love as we build each other up in the faith, being sensitive and helpful to those who are week.

Freedom is being free from sin, becoming over comers of sin and its temptation.  The power that he instills in us allows you to become more like Christ by obeying his word.  When you are growing in your relationship with Christ, The Holy Spirit frees you from the demands of the law and from fear of judgment.

Each of you needs to re-examine your commitment to Christ and reconfirm your relationships with other believers in Christ’s body.  When this is done, actively and vigorously build up other believers, my bible says that we can be a symphony of service to God.

1 Timothy 3:4 The husband must manage his own home well; he is the manager.

Genesis 2:21-23 Marriage is a committed partnership between man and woman.

Marriage Defined: The social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

Tune up:  A car is essentially a machine, and as such, it requires a certain amount of preventative maintenance in order to continue to perform. A tune up is a regularly scheduled opportunity, usually once a year, to do all of the preventative maintenance that needs to be done. Ensuring that your car gets a tune up regularly will help maintain the performance of your car and extend its life.

Owning a car: Owning a car shouldn’t mean that the car has to be repaired everytime you turn around. Failure to do the necessary maintenance will cause your car to fail before long and leave you stranded on the road side.

Marriage: Being marriage is much like being obligate to someone  If the husband fails to do the necessary steps I can assure you that your marriage will fail and you will be stranded along the road called life.

The Car:

Components of a Tune up:  You will want to make sure that you change your oil every 4,000 miles by using a new oil filter and an oil designed for your engine. Keeping antifreeze in your car all year round and checking the transmission fluid often are other ways for your car to remain in tip top shape. You can get an oil change at any oil and lube shop for around $10-$20, so there is no excuse for not having it done.

Filling your car with an high octane content fuel will keep the engine running cleaner. Do not let your gas tank ever go below the empty line. This will churn up sediments in the bottom of your gas tank. This causes parts of your engine and your spark plugs to become clogged, thus needing repair down the road.

The marriage or wife:

Components of a Marriage: Communication, openness, integrity, responsibility, spiritual maturity and Love.

What to listen for:  If you hear any new sounds with your vehicle, you have it checked out before it turns into a real problem. You don’t wait until last minute when the damage is done.

Things to listen for in a marriage:

1.     Your wife telling you she can’t cook due to being too tired.

2.     Your wife telling you that you don’t understand.

3.     Your wife telling you that she needs help around the house.

4.     The tone of her voice is different.

5.     Your wife has a lot of mood swings and crying.

6.     We always do what you want.

7.     You never listen to me.

Changing the tires: When they become worn will keep your tires from going flat and you from having blowouts that can be dangerous. If your tires have a blowout at speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour, you can become involved in an accident and be severely injured, or cause others to become severely injured.

Changing tires in a marriage is like going in another direction: many times in our marriages it may seem like you’re going 55 to 100 mile per hour.  It work, work, work;  Late hours, long hours;   kids are everywhere, sports and more sports,  no time for vacation and  no time for each other.

STOP! Just stop.

If  you recognize these situation and you qualify in one or more, take note:

1. Change the oil every: religiously, check in with our wife.  Sometimes just stop and look and watch her.  Ask her the questions:

A.   How you doing?

B.   How was your day?

2. Check out of the engine light!   Remove all dirt (sin).  This means give your wife the kind of respect that you would give the queen of England.  Stay alert and be aware of the warning signs.

3. Change air filters and fuel filters regularly: Avoid pushing her buttons too much (stop, look and listen).  Watch her emotions and be pleasant at all times.  Trying buying her some flowers, candy or a muffin of her liking.  Start thinking about her and not so much about you.

4. Never ever let the wife over heat:  If she even comes close to overheating, stop it immediately. Overheating means premature death to all kinds of peace, joy, communication and love in a marriage.  Stop talking and start listening.

5. Set up a regular maintenance schedule: Have regular schedule dates or vacation.  It’s important to have time together and not with the kids.   There is a time for kids and there a time for your wife.

6. Make sure that one of the top technicians: Inspects your marriage. Watch for certain people who want to tell you how to manage your marriage.  The top technician should be Jesus Christ.

Closing:

In general, The only real advantage to tire rotation is that it makes all of your tires wear out at the same time.  Check in with your wife more ofter and stop and listen and just maybe your meet your wedding vows “Until death do your part.”

1. Do not let anything squeak for very long. Squeaking means that  improper friction is happening somewhere in your marriage. Stop look and listen and then talk.  Remember that your don’t have to always win,  Love first.

2. Do not let anything grind for very long. A low-frequency grinding noise means that actual destruction is going on in your marriage! Find it and fix it.

3. Develop your sense of awareness for your marriage. Tension is one sign; anger another; name calling is another; silence is nerve racking, hand off is another; coldness is a sickly bad feeling; an argument is another and division is another. These are the main ones. Try to learn them, and pay attention if you suddenly start to become aware of any of them do something right.

4. Do not drive when a red warning light comes on. The red ones are serious and must not be ignored. Better to stop and pray.  It better than destroying the whole marriage for lack of Love

5. Get to know your Wife and love it. Be aware when anything seems to change for the worse. Pay attention and be aware of your car just as you are aware of your own body. Be able to express your observations in words, so you can accurately tell your wife what you have noticed.

The most important single thing you can do for your marriage is to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in which He is your personal Lord and Savior.  If you want your marriage to survive in this world, keep Jesus as the oil, coolant and water in your marriage.  If you do this, you will find joy, happiness and love now and forever.

If you do not do this one thing, you will continue to deprive yourself of the many blessings God has intended for you to receive

C is for: Christ, Christ was Love

H is for: Happy or Happiness

R is for:  Remember the troubles that have passed away

but never forget the blessings that come each day.

I  is for: Instrument to help others.

S is for:  Submission, Sin being removed.

T is for: Trust, total trust and thankfulness.

M is for: Merry, because you remember what Christmas is about.

A is for: Acceptance of what Christ did for you and me.

S is for: Savior and Salvation.

This is what Christ is all about!

Note: Here are some story’s that were shared that were found on the internet.

CHRISTMAS LOVE

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations: extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet I still found myself exhausted, unable to fully appreciate the precious family moments, and, of course, the true meaning of Christmas. My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s Winter Pageant. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher who assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early and found a seat in the cafeteria. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment: songs about reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes, and good cheer. So when my son’s class rose to sing “Christmas Love” I was slightly taken back by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, who were adorned in fuzzy mittens and red sweaters, with bright stocking caps on their heads. Those in the front row, center stage, held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing “C is for Christmas” a child would hold up the letter “C.” Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.” The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly we noticed her: a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down. She was unaware that reversed, her letter “M” appeared as a “W.” The audience of first- through sixth-graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, and she stood tall, proudly holding her “W.” Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience, and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. When the last letter was held high, the message read clear:

“CHRISTWAS LOVE” (“CHRIST WAS LOVE”)

And I believe He still is. — Author Unknown

ACCEPTANCE THROUGH CHILDREN’S EYES

Too often we look at the outward appearance of someone and don’t even give them a second glance. If only we could see people through children’s eyes. We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking.

Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, ‘Hi.’ He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. ‘Hi there baby! Hi there, big boy. I see ya buster,’ the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, ‘What do we do?’ Erik continued to laugh and answer, ‘Hi.’ Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man.

The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, ‘Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.’ Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My Husband and I were embarrassed.  We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.The old man sat poised between me and the door. ‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,’ I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-me-up’ position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby showed their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labour, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby.’ Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, ‘God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.’

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘My God, my God, forgive me.’ I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’ when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, ‘To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.’ Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow human being that identifies who you are.

Here’s a poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff.

So many of you asked us (since Christmas is drawing near)
“What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?
If we say, “We want nothing!” you buy something anyway,
so here’s a list of what we’d like; believe now what we say:
Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter and we ask a little bit more—
Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn’t cost a dime.
We have too many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks. We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks. Candy is too fattening, crossword books we’ve more than 20. We don’t need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty. We’ve no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we’ve not yet read;
So please take what you’d spend on us and help the poor instead! Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you’ve done; We’ll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.
It won’t cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,
You’ll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.
And we’ll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.   For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.   Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Samson was a man who had a hard time allowing Jesus to work in his life.  Samson was special because he had a calling on his life from God.  Some saw  Samson as a shaggy, long-haired man chasing after bad women. They see a wild man slaying a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass in hand. They see a blinded, bitter Samson ending his life in a last fit of vengeance. But few have understood and learned the real lesson of Samson’s life.

What we were never told on the screen or on our Sunday School flannel boards is that Samson is going to be in the first resurrection with Abraham and David! Samson is counted among the righteous, and he is going to rule with Christ on this earth!  Samson was considered among the righteous as mention in Hebrews 11:32.

The Book of Hebrews included Samson with such men as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Samuel and the prophets. The Bible affirms that these righteous men endured many trials through faith, “that they might obtain a better resurrection” (verse 35), the resurrection to rulership with Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:6). And Samson is one of them!

The historical is in the land of Israel, in the 12th century B.C.  Samson’s birth was a miracle. His mother wasn’t able to have children, but that was no problem for God.

God ordered Samson put under a special consecration governed by the Nazirite (meaning separated or dedicated) vow. This was a unique vow, applicable during the Old Covenant of national Israel, whereby a non-Levite (Samson was a Danite) could dedicate his life to the full-time service of God. This vow required that the hair not be cut– a sign of subjection–nor could any alcoholic beverages be consumed (Judges 13:5; Num. 6).

As a boy Samson was obedient to his vow and loyal to God. His friends undoubtedly came to have a healthy respect for his physical strength. Not many fellows would have braved picking a fight with him.  But once he was grown, Samson seemed to lack concern about the Philistines’ oppressive occupation of his land. He wasn’t revolted at the sight of the foul pagan practices of these evil Gentile overlords. He didn’t share God’s hatred of evil, and he lacked a compelling zeal to see Israel freed of Philistine domination.  Samson didn’t think the Philistines were all that bad.

In fact, his first girlfriend was a Philistine from Timnath (chapter 14). He became so infatuated with this Philistine babe he put pressure on his parents to approve their marriage.

On one of Samson’s trips to Timnath to see his girl he was attacked by an Asian lion. Bare-handed he grabbed the poor lion and tore him in two!

God’s plan for Israel was far from his mind at this point. Since he was more interested in serving himself than serving God, he would, like a lot of us, have to learn the hard way. The only way Samson would fight against the Philistines, it seems, was if he personally were hurt or wronged. And this is precisely what God allowed to happen.

The marriage didn’t last a week! The Philistines didn’t trust Samson.    To get rid of them, Samson composed a clever riddle and promised them each a complete wardrobe if they could come up with the correct answer.

They got busy on it, but weren’t smart enough. So they put pressure on Samson’s wife with violent threats to burn her and her family if she didn’t find out the answer for them.

Samson had his weaknesses. He gave in to her, and gave her the answer to the riddle.  Again looking for the easy way out rather than the right way.

When the Philistines came up with the riddle’s solution, Samson immediately knew that they had gotten the answer from his wife. He was mad! He left his wife and went to Ashkelon and slew thirty men and took all their apparel and gave it to the thirty who had answered the riddle. He then went back to live with his parents. He had been betrayed! He was angry and discouraged! But would he learn his lesson?

Samson got lonely and went back to the Philistines to get his wife, only to find she had been given to another man (chapter 15). He was beginning to personally hate the Philistines and anger boiled! It was now personal.

Samson devised an attack plan. He caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails together. He must have been a good trapper, or faster than any track star we have today.

It was harvest time for the Philistines and Samson set fire to  the crop lands of the Philistines–wreaking great destruction.

The Philistines retaliated by burning Samson’s wife and her family. The girl he loved was now murdered and his miseries increased

Samson became anger, he slaughtered many more Philistines. Later, he arranged to be caught by an army of a thousand Philistines and while they surrounded him, he broke loose and grabbed a fresh jawbone of an ass and killed a thousand men in hand-to-hand combat!

Sex was a weakness for Samson like many man.  Sampson didn’t and  could not resist its pull. He frequented harlots and seemed bent on following the destructive pulls of his flesh. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have had a fine wife and a wonderful marriage.

His parents had told him: “Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” (14:3).   Like many of us, Samson did not listen to his parents wisdom.

One mistake after another–one loose woman to the next–that was the path Samson took during his twenty year judgeship in Israel. He had been so faithful to himself that God was place second in his life.  Does this some like some you you know?

His selfish lust finally brought him to his last harlot–Delilah (16:4).  Samson wanted love and happiness but As for Delilah, she was in love with herself and money, not Samson.

The rulers and generals of the Philistines offered her a large sum of cash to find out the secret to Samson’s strength. After being “nagged to death” by this wicked, unprincipled woman, he finally told her the key to his strength. If his hair were cut, the vow would be broken and he would lose the strength God supplied him; he would become as any other man.  You would think that he would have  learned from the first time.

Samson hair was neatly arranged in seven locks or braids and probably formed an impressive looking crown to his formidable physical body (16:13).

Delilah got the secret she sought and after deceitfully causing Samson to fall asleep tenderly upon her knees, she called for an aide to come and shave off the seven locks of his head.  She called for the Philistines who were waiting outside her chamber.

The Philistines overpowered him and he quickly realized his special strength from God was gone! The vengeful Philistines then gouged out his eyes and bound him with brass chains and bands, fastened him to a grinding wheel in a dark prison and made him rind grain like an ox.

Here was Samson  blind, bald, a dejected hulk of a man grinding like an animal, stepping in his own manure. Day in and day out he walked the same circle amid the continual abuse of his captors.

But now Samson had time to think. Time to think about what a fool he had been. Time to think of the lusting eyes that had led him from one sin to another–with all the bowel twisting anguish those sins brought. Now there were empty sockets where eyes had been! Now he was in  slavery where before no one dared question his freedom and power.

Over the months he had plenty of time to meditate on God’s purpose for his life and what a shattered mess he had made of it. He had time to repent before his Creator for all his filth and self-seeking vanity.There had to be many question that had to run through Samson mind.

• Was it too late to repent?
• Was God through with Samson?
• Was God’s back turned on Samson?
• Hadn’t God given him enough time, enough mercy?
• Was this the end of the road?

What about you? Many of you may feel like you are right there with Samson in the prison grinding like a dumb ox. You may feel you have made a total mess of your life. You too may have broken God’s holy laws with little regard and lived only for momentary selfish pleasures. You too may feel it is a little late for God’s mercy.

God has open arms and a loving, tender heart full of mercy waiting for Samson and you to make the total a commitment–to repent and obey Him!

This is the decision Samson finally made. He couldn’t see the light of day without his eyes, but he came to see the truth that the way of this world and sin does not pay. He came to see that yielding to his Maker would have spared him a life of suffering. He was still alive and while he yet lived he had the opportunity to serve his God.

The Philistines were gloating over their capture of Sampson and when a major holiday came a large crowd gathered. The occasion was to offer sacrifice to their great god Dagon and to celebrate Sampson’s imprisonment.

In attendance were the royal family of the Philistines, the Philistine General Staff and the whole administration of that powerful nation. They were seated in a large viewing stand suspended over an arena where games were played.

It was a time of boisterous rejoicing and making merry, thinking that their god–had delivered Samson into their hand (16:23). So they called for Samson to be brought out to torment and ridicule.

It had been some time since Samson’s head had been shaven and his hair was long again, perhaps hidden from view by a head wrap (16:22).

After abusing Samson and having their perverted sport, he was allowed to stand near the two main supporting pillars for the elevated stands from which the dignitaries watched the festivities. Still blind, he asked the young boy who was leading him to guide his hands to touch each of the two pillars. Sampson prayed.

Sampson knew he had been called to deliver Israel from its oppressors, but instead he had mainly served himself. In his pathetic troubles he experienced a conversion and became totally committed to God and to doing His work…even if it meant his own life. He saw the sorry mess he had made of himself and was willing to let God work his will through him.

He fervently prayed and asked God to hear him. God did. God always hears such heart-felt, humble prayers. Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He then bowed himself with all his might against the two pillars. His muscles bulged, quivered, and filled with greater God-given strength than ever before. The pillars began to push apart, and then like a massive earthquake the entire viewing stand collapsed, killing about three thousand including virtually all the leadership of the Philistine nation.

This disaster so disrupted the Philistine nation that Israel was able to throw off its yoke of oppression. In this one act, after yielding himself to God, Samson accomplished more than in his entire life following the way that seemed right to him.

Lesson Learn from Samson

God was not only still willing to hear and forgive Samson, but God was still willing to use him in doing His work of deliverance for Israel.

It doesn’t matter what kind of mistakes you have made. No matter how bad your past is, if you are willing to totally submit your life to your God in Heaven, there is hope for you. But the clock is running.

We must all  learn from the mistakes of Samson rather than repeating them. We can draw encouragement by how in the end he turned out. After all, it isn’t how we start the race that counts–though that’s important–it is how we finish. If we have life, we can change.

If our merciful and patient God could forgive Samson, redeem his life, and use him mightily, won’t he do the same for you and me? He will if we let Him.

Family Praise & Worship
November 14, 2010

Text: Colossians1:16:
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

When we talk about the Holy Spirit we need to realize that we need to live and be submissive to the Holy Spirit.
How many of you really know who the Holy Spirit is?
How can you live as God wants you to, if you do not know who He is?
Paul talking: “All creation in this world was created by God”.
We need to realize that in the beginning, all three were involved in the creation of the world ; The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
All powers, rulers, and authority, both physical and spiritual, are under God’s authority.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What Paul is talking about is the desire that is a part of us that keeps us outside the will of God.
We never get rid of the evil part of us, but we need to realize that being lead by the Holy Spirit is being led to hear and obey God’s Word, and be sensitive to discern good from bad.

When you have the spirit as stated in Galatians 5:20:
idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What we want is the fruit of the Spirit that is in Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:25: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
So the question comes to mind, who is He? (the Holy Spirit)
Let’s go back to the beginning of time: The Holy Bible says……
In the first book, 1st chapter and 2nd verse

Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Here it is telling us that the Holy Spirit was there in the Beginning.
The Spirit of God was actively involved in the creation of earth.
So here is proof that the Trinity was alive and well in the beginning.
The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit- the Trinity.

So what is it also telling us?
1)    You need the Holy Spirit to help/ assist you in knowing who God is.
2)    You need Him to help you to understand or interpret the Bible.

How do we live in today’s world?

Zechariah 4:6:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

This is how we need to live, not by our power, but by His Spirit.
It is only through the Spirit of God that we can preserve and accomplish the things we want in life.

1.    We must realize that the Holy Spirit is not a force.
2.  The Holy Spirit  is a person.
3.    We need to be dependent on Him.
4.    We need to serve Him.

Another question is, Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?

John 14: 16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.  The Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The Counselor is also called a Comforter or Counselor.
The Holy Spirit is a powerful person.
His assignment is to work with you.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth, which has several qualities:
He thinks, He reasons and He has a will and emotions.

John 14: 26:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Advocate (another name for Holy Spirit or Helper).
Counselor = helping, encouraging.
Spirit of Truth = teaching and  reminding.
One God.
Here we have the Father ( God).
Will send, in the name of Jesus.
Who is called the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has an Assignment:
1)    To be beside us.
2)    To teach you.
3)    Remind you  (witness).

John 15: 26:
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

He is sent to testify about who Jesus is.
It is always about Jesus and never about Himself.
The Holy Spirit ministers to the head and heart of man.

John 16: 8-13:
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Convicts us concerning sin.
Glorifies Jesus.

Romans 8:11:
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit has a special purpose in the life of believers.
The Holy Spirit is God’s promise or guarantee for eternal life.
Believers need to believe and have faith.
The Holy Spirit indwells in every believer.

(Congregation helps with the closing and speak with holy boldness)

Is the Holy Spirit a person?                    YES
Does my Holy Bible tell me this?             YES
Do the scriptures validate the Holy Spirit?    YES
Is the Holy Spirit Vital to a persons life?        YES

If you can answer the above questions, then you know who the Holy Spirit is.

He is a …………….PERSON.