New Wine for New Wineskins June 2010


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Let the Weak Speak

Let the Weak SpeakPart 22 – Samson – Separating the Yokes

Remember – the purpose of this series is to release the potential that is within us to build successful ministries, kingdom businesses, and to be world changers who really make a difference in this world.  That will always involve change but we don’t need to panic because all of the change God requires from us is by way of exchange.  And so we simply come to the place of exchange – the Throne of Grace – where we have the opportunity to trade our weakness for his strength!

We are no longer wearing ourselves out chasing signs and wonders – we are signs and wonders and so we are destined to be the most exciting thing that is going on wherever we are!

Isaiah 8: 18

18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me!
We are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the LORD of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.

Joel 3: 9 – 10

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”

IT’S TIME TO LET THE WEAK SPEAK!  LET THE WEAK SAY, “I AM STRONG!”

We have been going through the Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” and looking at the lives of some of those listed there who although they were far from perfect were successful in overcoming the weaknesses of their flesh and fulfilling God’s purpose in their generation by faith!

Last time we continued doing what the writer of Hebrews does and began to race on through the rest of the folks that are mentioned here who all overcame their weaknesses by faith and saw the supernatural strength and power of God manifested in and through their lives!  So far, we have looked at Rahab, Gideon, and Barak.

Hebrews 11: 31 – 40

31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. 32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Next in line is Samson.  This guy was a Nazarite from the womb – he was to be consecrated to the LORD and was to abstain from alcohol, not cut his hair, and stay away from dead bodies.  God had told his parents prophetically that he would begin to deliver his people out of the hand of the Philistines.  The LORD blessed Samson and the Spirit of the LORD was upon him.

Samson, however, displayed certain weaknesses of the flesh even though he was endowed with supernatural physical strength.  We must always remember that charisma and character are two separate aspects of our lives.  The level of God’s anointing on our lives does not necessarily validate our character.  That is why it is important that we place as much emphasis on building our character as we do on having an anointing.

Although Samson did some mighty exploits, his unbridled passion was his undoing.  First of all he saw a Philistine woman that took his fancy and he demanded that his parents get her for him as a wife.  Although his parents counseled him that taking a Philistine as a wife wasn’t God’s best for him it would appear that when it came to romance Samson pleased himself.  Sadly, this marriage ended in disaster.

How many of God’s people get pulled away from God’s best for them by stubbornly ignoring his word and pursuing wrong relationships?

2 Corinthians 6: 14 – 18

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you[b] are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “ I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “ Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 18 “ I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

Samson was a Nazarite.  He was supposed to be consecrated and separated to the LORD.  When a believer marries an unbeliever they are unequally yoked.  There can be no agreement and no real fellowship in the Spirit.  Where are the Nazarites among God’s people?  We are all called to be Nazarites!

It also seems that Samson wasn’t averse to visiting prostitutes.

1 Corinthians 6: 15 – 16

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For  “the two,” He says,  “shall become one flesh.”

Samson shredded his soul through his unrestrained sensuality and so he became weaker and weaker on the inside.  If you don’t maintain your spiritual life you will always end up in trouble eventually.  The weakness on the inside will manifest as weakness on the outside.  But God has a better plan!

Ephesians 3: 14 – 21

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Later on Samson becomes involved with that most infamous of Philistine women, Delilah.  Although scripture says that Samson loved Delilah the feelings obviously weren’t fully reciprocated because Delilah used the relationship to try and discover the secret of his strength and make him vulnerable to the Philistines.  Delilah makes a couple of attempts to subtly extract the secret from Samson and have the Philistines capture him but Samson fools her and easily releases himself.  Delilah then uses the age-old manipulative plea of, “How can you say you love me and not give me everything I want?”

This was Delilah’s master card and Samson spilled his guts.  While he slept she called for someone to come and shave off his hair and so his strength left him and he became weak.  When he awoke he thought he could just shake himself free as before but this time he discovered that the LORD’s strength had departed from him!  The Philistines took out his eyes, bound him in chains and put him to work as a grinder in the prison.

An unequal yoke that you enter into willingly will always prove to be too heavy, and will ultimately weaken you spiritually.

However, the Philistines neglected to give Samson a regular haircut and so his hair began to grow back.   One day the Philistines came together to offer a sacrifice to their god, Dagon.  They were celebrating the fact that Samson had been taken captive and as the party continued someone had the not so bright idea of bringing Samson out of the prison to provide some sport for them.  Samson was placed between the pillars of the temple.  He asked the young boy who was leading him to let him feel the pillars that supported the temple so that he could lean on them.  The temple was packed with thousands of Philistines including all of their important dignitaries and leaders watching and mocking as Samson performed for them.  However, what happened next they certainly hadn’t bargained for!

Judges 16: 28 – 30

28 Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

Samson’s prayer was answered and so he got to experience the victory that only the supernatural strength and anointing of God can bring.

Isaiah 10: 27

27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing…

How did Samson end up in such a mess? Samson had been supernaturally strong all his life – he had become familiar with the anointing – and so it wasn’t until he experienced the reality of his own natural weakness that he realised just how dependent he was upon God’s strength.  There is a warning here for all of us but particularly for those who got saved at a young age and who have
grown up with the presence of God in their lives.  Samson went out in a blaze of glory by faith but he never fulfilled his potential in life because he was unwise in his choice of relationships.

The tragedy is that charisma can bring about the undoing of a leader if they become convinced of their own infallibility and begin to believe their own press.

The main thing that we need to learn from Samson’s life is that it is essential that we have the character to carry the anointing (charisma) of God.  We must be established in our identity as new creations with a new morality and we must walk in a high level of integrity.  Integrity is when what you are supposed to be and what you do line up. Samson was anointed to deliver his people from the oppression of their enemy but he himself continually played fast and loose in enemy territory.   If we don’t exercise discernment and self-control regarding what and who we are yoked with then we will eventually have a character collapse just like Samson.

Remember – too many people are pulled away from God’s best through wrong relationship choices!  It is vital that we seek the LORD in regards to who we should marry and that we get his choice rather than our own.  He alone has the ability to see the future and so only he knows who is the right person for us to be joined to in marriage.

Ecclesiastes 4: 12

12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We need someone that we can be united with in every way and so that means that we must be married to not just any old believer but one that believes what we believe.  In that unity God can release his supernatural blessing and strength.

Matthew 11: 28 – 30

28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When a married couple come together as one in the LORD there is agreement and there is power!  Why would anyone settle for anything less?

LET THE WEAK SAY, “I AM STRONG!”

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