Hello Everyone,

Samson was not only strong in body, but in mind and spirit. He was sharp witted. He loved riddles and had a great sense of humor. No wonder his name was sunshine...he was full of potential.

And yet this is not a happy story, it is a tragedy. He went from hero to zero, from victor to victim. Disobedience, defeat, disgrace, and destruction were his labels.

He was bold before men, but weak before women. He had the Spirit of God on him, but lived for the appetites of the flesh. He was called on to declare war on the enemies of God, but many times we find him parting with the enemies of God.

He fought the Lord's battles by day, and broke the Lord's commandments by night.

Sunshine was his name, which speaks of light, yet he ended his life in darkness having had his eyes poked out. At times he soared to incredible heights, but also sunk to incredible depths.

If you had told Samson at the beginning of his life what he would do in the end, he would not have thought himself capable of going that far.

This reminds us that there are 3 people in your seat right now.
The person you are now, the one you could be for God, and the one you could be for the devil.

Samson paid a high price for his low living.

First of all Samson dishonored his parents.
Judges 14:1-3 ¹ Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. ² When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."

³ His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?"
But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me."

The first step in his downward journey was he did not honor his parents. He had godly parents who pleaded with him to do right.

Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Samson thumbed his nose at his parents, and died young!

God has given this command for a purpose and it is for our benefit.

Oh How HE Love Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

This week we are looking at the story of one of the most amazing people in history. And we will see how

he paid a High Cost for Low Living. Samson.

When you have time read Judges 13-16.

You know some people are born to privilege, with many advantages, and can't seem to succeed, and then others are the opposite, born to nothing, and rise above it all to great success.

Samson was one of those born to nothing as far as the world was concern.
He was born at a special time in Israel's history. 7 times this nation had rebelled into apostasy. This time it is the Philistines which God used to punish and oppress Israel for 40 years. They were their worst enemy.

Samson means "sunshine". And in the darkest days of his nation's history, sunshine came into the world.

He was a Nazarite, which means different, separated, or set aside. He was to have no wine or fruit of the vine. He couldn't come near or touch a dead body, whether animal or human. And he couldn't cut his hair.

Samson had been given great strength from the Lord.

On one occasion he slew 1,000 Philistines with just the jawbone of a donkey. On another, he carried the gates of the city up a hill on his shoulders. Then there was the time he was confronted by a wild lion, and destroyed it with his bare hands.

What did he look like? Muscles? No. Probably just average. How do we know? Because Delilah asked him the secret of his strength. It wasn't obvious...It was a supernatural strength.

Judges 14:5-6, 15:14-15 In each case the 'Spirit of the Lord came upon him'.
⁵ Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. ⁶ The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

¹⁴ As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. ¹⁵ Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Many think that Samson’s hair was the source of his strength. But his fall was not just a hair cut but many steps downward. We will see some of them this week.

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

Why do people who profess to know God still turn back to weak and miserable principals for their guidance and help rather than turn to God?

They don’t want to put in the effort it takes to find out how to live for God.

“I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” Galatians 4:11

It takes effort to live for God. Living for God demands we make certain sacrifices.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” (Matt 13:44)
“Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:38)
Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
(Galatians 6:7)

The Galatians were not putting in the full effort to live for God…

Galatians 4:10-11“You are observing special days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.”

They were making the effort only on special occasions

They were not putting in the daily practice…

It was Paul’s fear that men who had once lived in the presence of God would LIMIT Him to special occasions.

We can’t live for God if we only spend time with Him on Sunday mornings.

Pick up your cross DAILY and follow me

If someone was to observe my life would they discover a life that was living for God?

Is that a strong characteristic of my life or is that a weak characteristic of my life?

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

How many of us will be able to say like Paul

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7)

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

Another reason people who profess to know God still turn back to weak and miserable principals for their guidance and help rather than turn to God is:

They don’t realize how much power the world still has over them.
“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God-or rather are known by God-how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” Galatians 4:v8-9

Before a person comes to know God all their guidance comes from ungodly sources.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Even now that we know God -Our nature is to still do things the way we used to do them before we came to know God.

In the case of the Galatians – Jesus was their savior but He was not yet their Lord.

Jesus was not able to lead them and guide them into all truth because the world still had power over them.

Are we going to live by the principals of the world or live by the principals of the WORD of God?

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

The question that we ended with yesterday was: Why do people who profess to know God still turn back to weak and miserable principals for their guidance and help rather than turn to God?

First of all they don’t realize how much God knows about them.

Galatians 4:9a“But now that you know God-or rather are known by God.”

We mistakenly think God knows as much about us as we know about Him. (Which is not very much.) “God only sees me every Sunday between 10:30-12” yea right.

God knows everything about everyone!
He knows our every thought even before we think.
He knows every one of our strengths and every one of our weaknesses

If God knows everything about us why then would we go instead to someone in the world who knows nothing about us for guidance and help?

I know you know nothing about me but could you give me guidance and help…
The only one who can give us the very best guidance and help is God- because he knows us the best.

One translation of Psalm 139 (1-6) says:
God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful-I can’t take it all in!

For the Child of God –realizing how much God knows about them is meant to be something wonderful.

It’s wonderful to be able to go to someone who knows everything about you for guidance and help.
Why would we then go instead to someone in the world who knows nothing about us?

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
Notice in our text that the Galatians had turned back to the weak and miserable principles of this world for their help and guidance -rather than turning to God.

Read with me: Galatians 4:8-11 8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by

them all over again? 10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

The word “miserable” that’s used here means …that which is without grace.
How is it that you are turning back to - that which is without grace?

Don’t you know that every principal that has none of God’s grace in it is…?
A. Weak B. Miserable and C. Enslaving?

It’s like trying to drive a car without any gas in the tank.

That’s why in every one of the 13 books Paul wrote –he declares to the reader: “Grace to you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ….

Why: Without grace what I am about to tell you just does not work!

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Illustration: 3rd verse of the hymn Amazing Grace:
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

It does not say –tis worldly principals have brought me safe thus far and worldly principals will lead me home.

Why do people who profess to know God still turn back to weak and miserable principals for their guidance and help rather than turn to God?

We will look at some reasons the rest of this week.

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

To start off this week I want to ask a question: Are you living like you know God?

Galatians 4:8-11

8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Paul starts out by saying in the past you did not know God (v8)

Listen, every man or woman who does not know God is living in slavery to something. If God is not your God – then something else is.

He goes on to say now you know God (v9)

Every man or woman who knows God is… known by God.
But doesn’t God know everyone? You might ask.

Jesus will say to every unbeliever: “Depart from me …I don’t know you…”

If you don’t know God- He does not know you as being one of His children.
But here is the problem:

Now that you know God why then are you living like you don’t know God? Is the question that Paul asks? (V9b-11)

“How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.”

It’s not any different today…

In America – millions and millions profess-to knowing God. But how many of those millions really live like they know God?

Quote: If you want to know whether a man knows God, don’t ask him, observe him.

What could we observe in order to find out if a person really knows God?
The very same thing Paul observed with the Galatians.

He Observed: Where people turned, for their help and guidance?

9b“How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

If you want to know if a person really knows God watch where they turn to for help and guidance.

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil