Let’s Unite in Prayer and God’s Word

My Aunt Joan and my cousin Kathy called this morning to make sure all is going to be alright where I live because of the potential tsunami waves from the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan.  It turns out everything is going to be alright in Washington where I live.  Thankfully, no evacuation will be necessary!

Kathy is going to spend the day in prayer to remember those in Japan and all affected by the earthquake.  Let’s unite with Kathy and join her in prayer to remember them too!

In addition to prayer, this would be a good time to revisit Matthew 24 in light of all that is going on around us.  As I previously mentioned, Aunt Joan as well as Uncle George have referred me to that chapter.  Be sure to read the recent entries for PAT dated for March 5 and 7. 

God’s Word, God’s Will

When you read this blog, I hope you are moved to turn to the bible for more of God’s great treasures to be revealed to you. I share what is placed on my heart or what is revealed to me from my reading. Oftentimes, the entries are word-for-word from the bible (KJV). At times there are ommissions of sections. This is not because they are not important. It is because it has not been placed on my heart to write about it or there is no revelation to write about at the time. This is why I hope you always turn to the bible for more of God’s Word. There is no replacement for God’s Holy Word directly to us! If you wish to experience a gladness better than the best gladness you have experienced on earth, turn to God’s Word! “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased” (Psalms 4:7).

At times, after I have written a blog entry, something about that blog entry or the verses involved will begin to weigh on my heart. When this happens, I believe that is God’s way of saying to me there needs to be clarification or elaboration on a matter. This is the case for the recent situation involving Samson in the book of Judges where he had an interest in marrying a Philistine woman. Samson’s parents were against this because the Philistines worshipped false gods and the Children of Israel were not to have anything to do with them for that reason. Since Israel had turned to false gods themselves, the real God delivered them into the rule of the Philistines. Israel was still not supposed to mingle with the Philistines. They were not, of course, unless it was the will of God which turns out to be the case in Samson’s situation. As shown in the previous blog entry, God ‘sought an occasion against the Philistines’ through Samson’s wish for a Philistine wife.

Long story short: Israel was not to have anything to do with the people who worshipped false gods! There is only one real and true God!

The Lord’s ‘Occasion Against the Philistines’

Judges 15 (KJV)

Continuing in the book of Judges, it is shown that the occasion the Lord sought against the Philistines comes through Samson.  The father of Samson’s wife thought that Samson hated his daughter, so he gave her to Samson’s friend.  Because of this, Samson burned the Philistines’ crops.  Then, the Philistines burned Samson’s former wife and her father.  “And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.  And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam” (15: 7,8).

“Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us” (vs. 9, 10).

“Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them".  And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.  And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.  And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee.  And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock” (vs. 11-13).

“And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.  And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi”(vs. 14-17).

“And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years” (vs. 18-20).

Samson Seeks Philistine Wife

Judges 13:24, 14:1-4 (KJV)

Now, in returning to the book of Judges, Samson had grown and was blessed by the Lord, so the time came that he went down to Timnath where he saw a Philistine woman he wanted to become his wife.

Samson’s parents tried to get Samson to find a wife among his own people, but he was so pleased with the Philistine woman that he said to his father, “Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well” (14:3).  Scripture reveals that Samson’s parents did not know, but the occasion was of the Lord for “…[H]e sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” (14:4).

Be Ready

I hope you have taken the time to read Chapter 24 in the book of Matthew.  There are so many things in that chapter that reminds me of what is going on today.  Maybe you found the same to be so.

The best thing for all of us is to always be ready for the Lord.  There are certainly hardships ahead, “[b]ut he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (24:13).  Whether the Lord comes back in our time or not, we should be ready.  “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven but [God] only.  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (vs. 36-39, 42).

Of course, if we knew when the Lord was coming back we might choose to be evil and do whatever we wanted to do until that time.  God has chosen, however, not to reveal to us when He is coming back.  The Lord will come back when we least expect it.  If we are not ready, God will cut us off from Him.  There will be weeping.  There will be gnashing of teeth.  Pretty scary, if we are not ready, huh?

Eye-opening Reference for Believers/Unbelievers

Believers and unbelievers alike may be drawn to the words in this blog. Believers may find the words that speak to their current condition. Unbelievers my be convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit which leads them to Jesus for forgiveness.

Whether you are a believer or unbeliever, I would like to refer you to Chapter 24 in the book of Matthew in the bible. My Aunt Joan and Uncle George have referred me to it on several occasions. When you read it, I believe you will find it to be eye-opening. It has certainly made me to stop and take a closer look at things taking place around me and in the world we are living.

PAT Must Go On!

In one way or another, I believe there is a unity brought about by the Holy Spirit through the words written in this blog.  Specifically, a unity of Christians whose hearts have been spoken to by God!  PAT must go on!  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalms 133:1 (KJV))!  Now, let me bid us all Godspeed on our journey as we continue here and through life!