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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW021233S
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00:15 ♪[music ends]♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 It was January the 28th, 1986, and the space shuttle Challenger 00:28 was on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral in Florida. 00:31 Seven astronauts were heading into space 00:33 on what was to be the Challenger's tenth mission. 00:36 Among them was Christa McAuliffe, 00:38 a 37-year-old social studies teacher at Concord High School 00:42 in New Hampshire. 00:43 Her presence on the space shuttle 00:45 meant that school children from all over the country 00:47 were watching coverage of the launch. 00:50 I'll never forget seeing the famous tragic photograph 00:53 of the Challenger disintegrating. 00:55 I'd been working overnight. I'd slept during the day, 00:58 and as I arrived at the studio late in the day, 01:02 the receptionist was reading the afternoon newspaper, 01:04 and the front page was facing towards me. 01:07 And I noticed what I thought at first glance was a swan. 01:12 Maybe it was a photo of a swan taken at the nearby lake. 01:15 But, of course, I looked again. 01:16 I, I, I asked to see the newspaper. 01:19 And like millions of people all around the world, my heart sank. 01:24 I was heartbroken to think of the tragedy that had unfolded. 01:27 The seven astronauts, black and white, male and female, 01:31 perished. 01:32 President Ronald Reagan had been scheduled to deliver 01:35 the State of the Union address that night. 01:37 But it was postponed for the first time 01:39 in this nation's history. 01:40 Instead, President Reagan spoke to America about the tragedy. 01:45 It was a four-minute speech. 01:47 Many said it was one of his best ever. 01:49 "The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; 01:52 it belongs to the brave," he said. 01:55 "The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, 01:58 and we'll continue to follow them." 02:00 And then he said, quoting from a, a poem, "We will never..." 02:03 >>Ronald Reagan: ...never forget them, 02:05 nor the last time we saw them, this morning, 02:07 as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye 02:11 and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" 02:15 to "touch the face of God." 02:16 >>John: It was later discovered that the Challenger broke up 02:21 only 73 seconds after liftoff because of a faulty O-ring. 02:28 It was an unusually cold day, 02:29 and the O-rings weren't able to function correctly in the cold. 02:32 They needed warmer temperatures. 02:34 There'd been warnings about this, 02:36 but the warnings were ignored. 02:39 A vehicle weighing four and a half million pounds 02:43 was undone by an O-ring. 02:46 The Challenger had a fatal flaw, 02:48 not unlike many people who have an Achilles' heel 02:51 in their makeup. 02:53 And one such person is the focus of our program today, 02:57 as we continue with our ongoing series 02:59 "Great Characters of the Bible." 03:03 He was born in a time of widespread apostasy in Israel. 03:06 All God asked is that His people would be faithful, 03:09 that is, lean on Him, trust Him, allow Him to do for them 03:14 the things they couldn't do for themselves. 03:17 But there's something about human nature that allows people 03:20 to exercise terrible judgment, 03:23 even when they know it's not in their best interests. 03:27 Like the person who will drink and then drive, 03:30 that person said, "Okay, I'll only have one," 03:33 knowing there was every chance 03:35 things were not going to end well. 03:38 Judges 13:1 says, "Again the children of Israel did evil 03:42 "in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them 03:45 into the hand of the Philistines for forty years." 03:49 This was Israel's almost-Sisyphean saga: 03:54 follow God, collapse into apostasy, 03:57 and end up being dominated by an enemy, 03:59 return to God, turn from God, 04:03 national greatness, national ruin. 04:06 If you read through the book of Judges, 04:07 you notice that Joshua dies. 04:10 "They forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth." 04:15 The Bible says, "And when the Lord raised up judges for them, 04:18 "the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand 04:21 "of their enemies all the days of the judge; 04:24 "for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning 04:27 "because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. 04:30 "And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, 04:32 "that they reverted and behaved more corruptly 04:35 "than their fathers, by following other gods, 04:37 "to serve them and bow down to them. 04:40 "They did not cease from their own doings 04:42 nor from their stubborn way." 04:44 In Judges 3, they served the king of Mesopotamia 04:47 for eight years. 04:49 They cry out to God, and Caleb's nephew Othniel was raised up 04:53 by God to deliver them. 04:55 Forty years of peace, 04:56 Othniel dies, and they "did evil again in the sight of the Lord," 05:01 and they served Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years. 05:04 Ehud delivered Israel from Moab, and they had 80 years of rest. 05:08 Then 20 years under Jabin, king of Canaan, 05:11 then they're delivered again in the time of Deborah. 05:13 Then the Midianites conquer Israel, 05:15 then 40 years of peace under Gideon. 05:18 Then the Philistines rule Israel for 40 years, 05:21 and God steps in again. 05:24 Manoah and his wife are told they're going to be parents, 05:27 which came as a big surprise because Mrs. Manoah 05:30 hadn't been able to have children. 05:32 The couple are told not to drink wine, not to drink strong drink, 05:37 and not to eat anything unclean. 05:39 And they're told not to cut the boy's hair. 05:42 He was to be a Nazarite. 05:44 The Nazarite vow was a vow of complete commitment 05:48 and consecration to God. 05:50 It seems Samuel and John the Baptist might've taken 05:52 the same vow. 05:53 The couple were told to take special care of the child, 05:56 even before he was born. 05:57 Now, we know today how important the prenatal influences-- 06:01 even before children are born, 06:02 you want to be careful about what you expose them to-- 06:05 and, of course, then after they're born. 06:07 Sadly, some kids aren't given a chance by their parents. 06:12 Fill a child's head with anger and violence and hate 06:15 and foul language, expose them to media 06:17 that they've got no business watching or hearing, 06:19 and at the same time if you're not reading the Bible to them, 06:23 laughing with them, praying with them, 06:25 walking with them in the woods... 06:27 If you pour love and good health into a child, 06:29 expose that child to good values, 06:30 commit that child to God, the child has a chance. 06:35 But in cases where that doesn't happen, 06:38 well, all too often we see the results. 06:40 But, thank God, it's never too late. 06:43 God can still work, even if parents make mistakes. 06:47 But going into childrearing, we all need to know 06:50 how extremely important it is to mold children God's way. 06:54 The angel of the Lord even reiterated this counsel: 06:57 "Let the woman pay attention to all that I said." 07:00 They named their child Samson, which means "like the sun." 07:07 He was raised up by God to shine brightly. 07:11 But you know how it works with the sun. 07:14 It can warm you, or it can burn you. 07:18 And Samson was going to do a lot of both. 07:22 I'll be right back. 07:23 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 07:32 >>John: Temptation is a fact of life, 07:34 but you can be successful in the face of temptation. 07:38 Be sure you get today's free offer, 07:40 "When the Lion Roars," 07:42 and find out how you can successfully defeat temptation 07:46 instead of being defeated by sin. 07:49 To get your free copy of "When the Lion Roars," 07:51 call us on 800-253-3000. 07:55 You can write to the address on your screen 07:57 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:03 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:05 Samson was from Zorah, 08:07 a Canaanite town west of Jerusalem. 08:10 His parents were faithful followers of God, 08:12 but Samson was raised in an area 08:15 where there was a strong pagan influence. 08:18 His parents were instructed to raise him for God's honor, 08:20 to keep harmful influences out of his life. 08:23 Judges 13:24 says that "the child grew, 08:26 and the Lord blessed him." 08:27 So his life got off to a good start. 08:30 But, you know, you can't let your guard down 08:33 when you're a believer in God. 08:34 Nor should you want to. 08:36 Samson had a fatal flaw. 08:37 Like the O-rings on the ill-fated Challenger 08:40 space shuttle flight, 08:41 Samson's one fatal flaw was gonna be his undoing. 08:46 Chapter 14 of Judges opens with the words, 08:49 "And Samson went down to Timnath." 08:52 It wasn't a very long way, but it resulted in a very long fall. 08:57 He went down all right, and he went down hard. 09:02 He said to his parents, "I have seen a woman in Timnath 09:05 "of the daughters of the Philistines: 09:07 now therefore get her for me to wife." 09:11 Samson's parents definitely knew about Deuteronomy 7, 09:15 and Samson would have known, but he didn't care. 09:18 That's where God listed a number of non-Jewish nations and said, 09:21 "Nor shall you make marriages with them. 09:24 "You shall not give your daughter to their son, 09:27 "nor take their daughter for your son. 09:29 "For they will turn your sons away from following me, 09:32 to serve other gods." 09:34 And we've seen this. 09:35 Solomon was a prime offender, marrying the daughter of Pharaoh 09:38 in order to form a political alliance. 09:41 It was a disaster. 09:43 Samson's parents tried to reason with him. 09:46 "Then his father and mother said to him, 09:48 "'Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, 09:50 "'or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife 09:54 "from the uncircumcised Philistines?' 09:56 "And Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, 10:00 for she pleases me well.'" 10:03 In the Bible you'll find strong warnings 10:05 against marrying unbelievers. 10:07 But Samson, he disregarded all the warnings. 10:10 He ignored his parents' wishes, and he married the woman anyway. 10:15 Now, the Bible says, "It was of the Lord," 10:17 but that's not justifying Samson's mistake. 10:20 That's the Bible saying God was able to use this in a way 10:23 that would work out for His glory. 10:25 Now, keep that in mind with God. 10:27 He's able to take our mistakes 10:29 and then use them in a positive way. 10:31 That doesn't make the mistakes a good thing, 10:34 but it tells us that God is able to turn things around. 10:36 So if you've made mistakes, wrong choices, 10:39 exercised poor judgment, God is able to bring good out of that. 10:44 Things might not be perfect, and they weren't for Samson, 10:47 but God is able. 10:48 He works with us even when we make mistakes. 10:52 He's a good God. 10:55 On his way to see his bride-to-be, 10:57 Samson is approached by a lion, 11:00 and as a harbinger of things to come, 11:03 he kills the animal with his bare hands. 11:05 Of course there's the temptation to question this entire story. 11:09 Samson does some remarkable things, 11:12 incredible feats of strength. 11:14 Could it even be possible? 11:16 But what he does, he does through the power of God. 11:20 The Bible says, "The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, 11:23 "and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart 11:27 a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand." 11:31 His strength came from God. 11:34 But you'll notice Samson is getting careless. 11:37 When he saw a swarm of bees producing honey in the carcass 11:40 of the lion, he took some of the honey and ate it. 11:44 Now, nothing wrong with eating honey, 11:47 but taking it from the carcass of a dead lion? 11:51 That was a violation of his Nazarite vow. 11:53 It went against the teachings of his parents, 11:55 and, of course, it went against the teachings of Scripture; 11:57 it was unclean. 11:59 But it was apparent Samson wasn't worrying 12:01 about the teachings of Scripture as he once used to. 12:05 He was sliding, slipping, drifting. 12:09 Once you intentionally depart from God on one point, 12:14 you make it so much easier for yourself to slip from God 12:17 on a whole lot more. 12:19 Samson went down to Timnath, 12:21 and he was going further down than he might have hoped. 12:26 And his fatal flaw was soon exposed. 12:29 At a feast he put forward a riddle to some young men. 12:32 They didn't have a hope of figuring it out. 12:34 After three days of trying to solve it, 12:36 they said to Samson's wife, 12:37 "Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, 12:41 or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire." 12:46 Well, now she was highly motivated. 12:49 "Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, 12:51 "'You only hate me! You do not love me! 12:54 "'You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, 12:56 but you have not explained it to me.'" 12:59 So finally, 13:01 "He told her, because she pressed him so much." 13:04 And she told the young men. 13:06 Samson had been deceived, and he was so outraged 13:10 that he went to Ashkelon and killed 30 men to pay his debt 13:13 to the men of his wedding feast. 13:15 Samson wasn't just drifting now. He was out of control. 13:20 And that was his issue. 13:21 He completely lacked self-control. 13:24 He wasn't surrendered to God. 13:27 Well, the fact is, he didn't even need self-control; 13:30 he needed God control. 13:33 That's what people need: 13:34 to be moderated, guided, influenced by God. 13:38 But he didn't want that. 13:41 He wanted a woman he shouldn't have had, 13:43 but he wouldn't be told. 13:46 And this is the same age-old problem we face today. 13:49 Samson's problem is real, and it's prevalent. 13:53 Self says, "I want it," whatever it might be. 13:57 The Bible says God has what's best for you. 14:00 It's the challenge we all face. 14:02 You might be living in your comfortable home 14:04 with your comfortable job and your happy family 14:05 and think that all is well. 14:07 But without Jesus in the heart, all is not well. 14:11 Sometimes temptation will convince us 14:12 that we want the forbidden thing. 14:14 That's why John warned us: "...the lust of the flesh, 14:18 "the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- 14:20 is not of the Father but is of the world." 14:23 That's 1 John 2, verse 16. 14:26 Samson returned to Timnath 14:28 to find that his wife was now with another man. 14:32 Her father thought Samson had forsaken her, 14:34 but now he's back, and instead of taking it on the chin, 14:38 he set fire to Philistine wheat fields. 14:41 The Philistines responded with brutality, 14:43 and Samson took revenge. 14:45 When the Philistines came to apprehend Samson, 14:47 the men of Judah were so afraid 14:50 they handed him over to the enemy. 14:52 Samson took the jawbone of a donkey and killed 1,000 of them. 14:57 So Samson's out of control. 14:59 God's intent was to deliver Judah from the Philistines, 15:03 and here was someone He could use to accomplish His plans. 15:07 So what should Samson have done? 15:10 He's driven now by lust and revenge. 15:14 Do we see that today? 15:15 Oh, yes, we do. 15:16 And society has a two-faced response to this. 15:19 On the one hand, there's condemnation for sin 15:22 driven by lust and a drive for power. 15:24 But on the other hand, society fuels lust; 15:28 it encourages and even celebrates immorality. 15:31 We pay a price for that. 15:33 The devil knows how to tempt and who to tempt with what. 15:37 And people struggle to stay on the right path. 15:41 Now, I'm gonna share with you the secret Samson never knew. 15:45 If you know it, and if you put this into practice in your life, 15:49 it'll save you and others from a lot of heartache, 15:53 and it'll keep you from making the same mistakes Samson made. 15:58 I'll be right back in just a moment. 16:00 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 16:09 >>John: Temptation is a fact of life, 16:11 but you can be successful in the face of temptation. 16:15 Be sure you get today's free offer, 16:17 "When the Lion Roars," 16:19 and find out how you can successfully defeat temptation 16:23 instead of being defeated by sin. 16:26 To get your free copy of "When the Lion Roars," 16:28 call us on 800-253-3000. 16:32 You can write to the address on your screen 16:34 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 16:39 >>John: The experts say he's living in our midst. 16:42 Many people claim to have sighted him. 16:45 A famous film shot in the 1960s seems to show he exists. 16:48 But does he? 16:50 Does Bigfoot visit campsites in towns and forests 16:54 across North America? 16:55 Don't miss "Bigfoot," part 1 of It Is Written series 17:00 "Conspiracy, More Than Just a Theory." 17:03 You'll visit a museum dedicated to Bigfoot and hear from a man 17:07 who claims to have sighted a Sasquatch twice. 17:11 And you'll learn what the Bible says about the conspiracy 17:14 playing out right before your eyes, 17:16 a conspiracy of eternal importance, 17:19 a conspiracy most people are missing. 17:22 Make sure you know about the greatest conspiracy of them all, 17:26 a global conspiracy involving you and those you love. 17:30 Watch "Bigfoot" 17:32 from the series "Conspiracy, More Than Just a Theory" 17:35 on It Is Written TV. 17:40 >>John Bradshaw: The Bible says Samson loved a woman 17:42 named Delilah. 17:44 It's one of the most famous love stories of the Bible-- 17:48 although it's hard to find much love. 17:50 The Philistines offered Delilah a large sum of money 17:54 if she would find out the secret of Samson's strength 17:57 and tell them. 17:58 For some reason, Samson entertained her. 18:01 He hadn't learned from past experience. 18:03 He told her, to start with, 18:04 that if he was bound with seven cords, 18:06 his supernatural strength would be gone. 18:09 So as he slept, Delilah bound him with the cords, 18:12 and when she told him, "The Philistines are here," 18:14 he broke the cords like they were nothing. 18:17 Same sort of thing happened on two other occasions. 18:20 Of course, you have to wonder. 18:22 What Samson did was incredibly reckless. 18:26 But Delilah wore him down. 18:29 You'd think that Samson had to be able to see 18:31 where this was going. 18:32 He'd been deceived once before. 18:34 But the thing was, Samson couldn't see. 18:37 He had obscured his own vision. 18:40 His undoing was lust. 18:43 Samson had desires he couldn't control-- 18:46 or, or wouldn't control. 18:48 His desire got the better of him. 18:51 People face the same issue today in a variety of ways. 18:54 Some people can't control their desire for... 18:58 chocolate cake or, or soda, 19:00 or beer or tobacco 19:01 or video games or coffee. 19:03 But what Samson was wrestling with, 19:06 that was in a class of its own. 19:08 Solomon was a slave to lust. 19:11 King David, same issue, at least when he took Bathsheba. 19:14 We see it today. 19:16 So many people have had their lives ruined because of lust-- 19:20 politicians and sports stars and...ministers of the gospel 19:26 and people from every walk of life. 19:28 It's one of the reasons so many marriages fail. 19:32 And sometimes what starts as desire 19:35 ends up in a very dark place. 19:40 So what should Samson have done? 19:42 The answer is important because it's the one way out 19:45 for anyone who has an issue with self-control 19:48 or is stuck in some sin. 19:50 If something really has hold of you, 19:53 then look at Romans 6, starting in verse 5. 19:56 It says, 19:57 "For if we have been united together in the likeness 20:00 "of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness 20:03 "of His resurrection, knowing this, 20:07 "that our old man was crucified with Him, 20:09 "that the body of sin might be done away with, 20:12 "that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 20:16 For he who has died has been freed from sin." 20:20 Notice the language: 20:22 The one "who has died has been freed from sin." 20:26 We are to die. 20:27 Now, clearly, this isn't literal. 20:29 Verse 11 and on: "Likewise you also, 20:32 "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, 20:35 "but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 20:39 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, 20:43 "that you should obey it in its lusts. 20:45 "And do not present your members as instruments 20:47 "of unrighteousness to sin, 20:49 "but present [yourself] to God as being alive from the dead, 20:53 "and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 20:56 "For sin shall not have dominion over you, 20:59 for you are not under [the] law but under grace." 21:04 You come to Jesus and let self die. 21:09 That's referring to surrendering to Jesus 21:11 and letting Him do His will in your life. 21:14 Think about this. 21:16 If you're being tempted and you call out to God 21:18 and ask Him to deliver you, what do you think He'll do? 21:22 He can't possibly fail to deliver you 21:25 from that temptation. 21:26 In the Lord's Prayer we pray, 21:28 "And lead us not into temptation, 21:31 but deliver us from evil." 21:32 That's Matthew 6:13. 21:33 This is one of the great themes of the New Testament: 21:36 what Jesus can do in your life 21:39 and how He delivers you from temptation and sin. 21:42 Philippians 2, verse 13: 21:44 "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do 21:49 for His good pleasure." 21:51 We make a big mistake when we don't surrender to God. 21:54 Sin is bigger than anyone alive. 21:57 The prophet Jeremiah put it this way: 21:59 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? 22:04 Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil." 22:09 Samson couldn't straighten himself out, 22:12 but that was no reason for him to plunge into sin. 22:15 His weakness was a call to Samson to cry out to God 22:18 and tell God that he needed God's help. 22:20 He needed God's power. 22:21 He needed the Spirit of God to work in him, 22:24 to strengthen him. 22:26 And Samson, well, he hadn't completely given up on God. 22:31 The Philistines callously blinded him. 22:33 And at a big pagan festival they brought Samson out to mock him. 22:37 But his hair had grown back, 22:40 and his strength was again granted him by God. 22:42 In one massive final effort, Samson collapsed the building, 22:48 and hundreds and hundreds of Philistines died. 22:51 And Samson died. 22:53 He governed Israel for 20 years, 22:55 during which time Israel was at peace. 22:58 And, you know, it wasn't his hair that gave him his strength. 23:01 His hair was a symbol of his consecration to God, 23:05 and with God's hand upon him, 23:07 he had strength like no other man has ever had. 23:11 Imagine how the story might have ended 23:12 had Samson been faithful to God, if he'd married the right girl, 23:18 surrendered to the will of God. 23:22 Samson is the man who could have been so much more. 23:26 In a time of national crisis, his countrymen needed him, 23:30 but he never delivered what he could have. 23:33 Physically, Samson was the strongest man in the world, 23:37 but in self-control and integrity 23:39 he was one of the weakest. 23:42 You know, a lot of people think it's a sign of strength 23:44 to exhibit strong feelings. 23:46 But real strength is demonstrated 23:48 in controlling those feelings. 23:51 Curiously, Samson's name is written in Hebrews 11 23:56 as one of the heroes of faith, 23:58 alongside Abraham and Jacob and Moses. 24:04 Now, think about that. 24:05 They were all faulty people, and God used them. 24:09 Samson was faulty, but God used him. 24:12 And at the end of his life, he wanted to honor and glorify God. 24:16 See, if you've been entangled in some regrettable things, 24:19 God can still use you. 24:21 It isn't too late. 24:25 Can you think of things that you've done 24:26 that you wish you hadn't? 24:28 Of course you can. 24:29 Have you made mistakes? 24:31 Of course you have. 24:33 But can God use you? 24:35 Can, can your life honor God? 24:38 Of course it can. 24:40 Samson's story is all the evidence you need. 24:46 In Yosemite National Park in January of 2021, 24:50 a freak windstorm struck the Mariposa Grove, 24:53 where 500 mature giant sequoias grow. 24:57 At least 15 of the giants crashed to the ground. 25:00 The strong winds came, and the big trees couldn't stand. 25:04 Down they went. 25:06 The strong winds of temptation are gonna come at you, 25:09 but you don't have to fall like Samson did. 25:12 Life is challenging. Things happen. 25:16 Your foundation can be shaken. 25:18 And if you're dealing with moral or spiritual weakness, 25:22 it leaves you very vulnerable. 25:25 You wanna be connected to God, living a life of faith. 25:29 That will strengthen you. 25:31 The Bible and prayer, there's power there. 25:34 You haven't gone too far. 25:36 And if you've never surrendered to God, 25:38 it isn't too late for you. 25:42 You can imagine Samson chained in the temple of Dagon, 25:45 looking back over his life, 25:46 wishing he'd done things differently, 25:48 wishing he'd made better decisions, 25:51 wishing he'd had his priorities straight, 25:54 wishing he hadn't wasted his time by not surrendering to God. 25:58 It was too late for him then. 26:02 But it isn't too late for you. 26:04 God wants you to come to Him in faith right now. 26:10 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:12 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:16 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:19 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:23 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:25 to the address on your screen, 26:26 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:30 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:33 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:37 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:41 >>John Bradshaw: Let me pray with you now. 26:43 Our Father in heaven, thank You for the story of Samson. 26:45 He's truly one of the great characters of the Bible. 26:48 And what a character. 26:49 So much given him of heaven, 26:51 so much squandered. 26:54 So many opportunities, so many wasted. 26:58 Dear Lord, I'm asking that You would not allow us 27:00 to be like that. 27:01 My friend, God is speaking to you now. 27:04 Would you welcome His Spirit into your heart 27:06 to strengthen you, to deliver you from desire, 27:10 to deliver you from sin, to strengthen you in temptation, 27:13 to keep you from going down the road Samson went down? 27:17 Would that be your prayer? 27:19 If it is, tell God right now: 27:21 Lord, take my heart. 27:22 Can you say those words? 27:24 Lord, take my heart. 27:27 Make it Yours. 27:28 Make it Your stronghold and Your dwelling place. 27:32 And we will go from this moment 27:33 with the assurance that You are ours and we are Yours. 27:36 We thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name, 27:42 amen. 27:44 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:46 Looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:47 Until then, remember: 27:49 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:53 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:58 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:22 ♪[music ends]♪ |
Revised 2021-03-16