God is still looking for people who will welcome Him
Judges 13 / Proverbs 25 / James 1-2
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OT
Judges 13:1 Again the Israelites did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who kept them in subjection for forty years.
:21-25 The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD, and he said to his wife, “We will die, for we have seen God!” But his wife said, “If the LORD were going to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn’t have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles.” When her son was born, they named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up. And in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, the Spirit of the LORD began to take hold of him.
Proverbs 25:6-7 Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It is better to wait for an invitation than to be sent to the end of the line, publicly disgraced!
NT
James 1:2-6 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom–if you want to know what God wants you to do–ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
OT Flash Points
Though a whole nation goes to the dogs, God is still looking for people who will welcome Him
Samson is born to just such a couple
While in subjection to the Philistines doing what was evil AGAIN
God began to take hold of him between his birthplace and a narrow pass 2 miles away
He would return there to be buried
Proverbs: It is God’s privilege to conceal a matter and a king’s to discover them
Burning coals on the head
A man who lacks self-control is defenseless
NT Flash Points
Trouble = opportunity for joy
Poor or rich, be glad
Pure religion is caring for those left alone and refusing to be corrupted by the world around us
Faith without deeds is dead
Perspective
Self-realization vs. Christ-realization – mutually exclusive
Deny yourself (your claim to your right to your self)
Pick up your cross (that particular personal contender for your loyalty – your strength)
Follow me (the gifts are His – my focus is my love for Him)
– In and out of season, do the best no matter how you feel
Don’t make a fetish of high moments
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