A YOUNG LION
Today’s Reading: Judges 14-15
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The Tomb of Lazarus is a traditional spot of pilgrimage located in the West Bank town of al-Eizariya, identified as the Biblical village of Bethany, on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, some 2.4 km (1.5 miles) east of Jerusalem. The tomb is thought to be the site of the miracle recorded in the Gospel of John in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This first photo is of the street level entrance to the tomb…see three more images at the bottom of this blog that will take you down into the tomb itself.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Judges 14:5 & 6a
So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him.
The Apostle Peter warns us that our “adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (read 1 Peter 5:5-9). This is advice to younger people. Sampson needed this counsel. While he won this fight with a lion, he was already on the path of poor choices. His mother and father knew this but did not stand in the way of their son’s desires. Of course, God knew that this would start Sampson on his road to deliver Israel from the latest oppressor. God often allows us to go our own way, and in doing so, advances His ultimate purpose. God desired to respond to the the cries of His people for deliverance. Sampson chose a wife who did not know the God of Israel. God could’ve accomplished His purposes in different ways, but He chose to work within Sampson’s free-will decisions. How can we line up our decisions with His?
Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” When we delight ourselves in the Lord, we want only what He wants. His delight becomes our delight. Thus we have the desires of our hearts and do His will at the same time.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I desire to do Your will at all times. I delight in You! You are my joy! Therefore, I ask for Your guidance in my decisions. I am confident, going forward, that You are directing me into Your plan for me. Thank You, Lord! In the Name of Jesus, the One who always delighted to do Your will, I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
It’s Valentines Day! Sampson’s love life was sad. Contrasted to Sampson’s experience is my relation with the love of my life, Norma-Jean, my wife. We both knew we were in the centre of God’s will when we were married in 1958. We both desired to please the heart of God most of all and, therefore, God gave us the desires of our hearts. Have a Happy Valentines Day!!!
I found it interesting that my son, David Reynold, would choose to share with us the photographs he took of the tomb of Lazarus, the tomb into which Jesus spoke the words, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:19-44). Yes, Sampson was a great champion of Israel, but our Great Champion, the Lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is Lord of all. He has defeated death, the last enemy of every human being. He has brought us deliverance, not just for 20 years, but forever and ever.
It’s about 30 years ago that a Dr. Eby was a guest on the 100 Huntley Street telecast. He was already an old man. He held the record for being the obstetrician who had delivered more babies that anyone else. I was impressed. He told us of his experience while in the tomb of Lazarus. He had a vision of the risen Christ, and his life was forever changed. I have never had such a vision, but I know that Jesus is right here, right now!
Yours to help us delight ourselves in the Lord, thus finding His perfect will. Amen!!!!
David
The long staircase down into the tomb area of Lazarus’ Tomb.
The light at the bottom of the image is actually the entrance to the tomb.
A view from the back of the tomb towards the stairs that Lazarus would have walked up to get to Jesus.
God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. Thank you Heavenly Father thank you for everything you do even though we don’t always understand the reason, we know that it is all for our good. In Jesus our first Loves Name Amen.
Thank you Reynold for the wonderful pictures of Lazarus tomb.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all ❤️Eleanor M.
Amazing. Hard to think that something good will come out of all this. Samson knew about God but not enough to put Him first (as in choosing a believing wife). God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our ways, as in this event. Please pray for me today (have to take my first senior’s driving test)! Thanks.
Prayers for you, Doreen, that you do well and pass your driving test, for God will be with you!
Have faith,Doreen.I’m praying for you too.You will do just fine.God bless
Great photos and captions from Reynold and message and prayer from David. Happy Valentine’s Day, Norma-Jean, Ron, Ann, Kathy, Reynold, Elaine, Bruce, Nizar, Ellen, and to all the fellow saints in the Lord! May your day be as bright, blessed, and beautiful as you are!! Oh, how He loves us so!!!
The Way of Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 4 ESV
“The Lion and The Lamb” (Lyrics) Big Daddy Weave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMTfj4xOjZk
Dearest Lynda, I posted a reply to your comment, on yesterday’s post, which I just read, now. God’s blessings on you, today, dear sister-in-Christ!!
And prayers for you, Sah!!
I hear ya dear sister Beverlee. I’m so busy these days too. I’m a reporter for a newspaper where I live and between looking after my husband and house etc. there isn’t much time to enjoy or share in all my fellow bloggers posts. Yes, your work to gather all the info on cremation is so greatly appreciated and I’m sure many people benefited from it. I love William’s thoughts too on the subject and soooo appreciate them. I pray for wisdom just about every day as I’m sure others do too. God will give us understanding on this matter if we ask and it really shows up in these explanations.
My niece, who died of breast cancer complications, had a lovely cannister set which was almost new so my sister uses one of the cannisters to store her daughter’s ashes in. She keeps it in her kitchen and she is getting rather elderly so I’m hoping she doesn’t use any of the contents in her baking, etc. I think if you love someone that much, their ashes would be close to you all the time if manageable. My parents had body burials but I live a gazillion miles away from them now that I have never been to their burial sites. My mother was 42 yrs. when I was born, the youngest of 14 children so didn’t get to know my parents as well as would have liked. Brothers and sisters were more like aunts and uncles to me. I think it would have been nice to have some ashes to bring with me to our beautiful West, although I wouldn’t have kept them in the kitchen. My niece who succumbed to cancer left three beautiful children and a husband behind.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day Beverlee! Again, love William’s contribution to this. Blessings on all dear saints this Valentine’s Day.
Scripture teaches that the “fruit of the Spirit” is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Each would make a wonderful Valentine’s Day present for someone you love.
Amen.
We have the Old and New Testaments but back then few had access to or knew how to read their scrolls….’Hindsight is always 20/20.’
We doubt what we do not see and God knows well about this but faith to believe and know what is truth in all the mixture of sin is His goal so that we can then have faith in Him.IMHO.God bless
Light Shine Truth
As I look down into Lazarus’ tomb,
I see the steps he climbed in grace
And gone from me is the gloom
For he met Jesus face to face.
No room to doubt what the prophets said,
For God and Son showed what will be
When shall arise from the dead
Those He saves for eternity.
How much love could a Father have shown
To those who believe yet still doubt,
For this crop not fully grown,
Was drenched by Water in their drought.
But unless we see with our own eyes,
Satan pulls a hood o’er our heads,
For shows this world in disguise
Until Light shines truth on our dreads.
G W (Bill)Marshall /14 Feb 2019
Should be “Light Shines Truth”.
Thanks Bill, and also just watched the movie you posted a few days ago. It was wonderful!! God bless you!!
Here is the real story of St.Valenteno.(“Saint Valentine (or San Valentino, as we call him in Italy) is the patron saint of Terni, a quaint town in Umbria. He is protector of lovers and of people suffering from epilepsy and was born in 176 AD in Interamma Nahars, which is, indeed, know today as Terni. He is venerated by the Catholic and Orthodox church, as well as the Anglican.
Happy St.Valentine’s Day.
http://www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story
I’m smiling,lol.Gload you liked it Beverlee.That movie was ‘different’ but I enjoyed it too.Blessings
Just grabbed some lunch…
Re Creamation
This is an analogy that I think is fair (from an earthly perspective),but only an analogy:
Our bodies are like space suits,life support systems for the soul to exist in this artificial,physical temporary world.When damaged beyond repair the soul leaves the body returning to it’s own environment.The Lord won’t return us to our earthly,physical bodies but give us immortal bodies “in the twinkling of an eye.”
If God was against cremation He would have added an additional law stating so.There would be no doubt.Fire and decomposition both work the same chemical process and leave “dust” behind.Our heavenly bodies and minds will be unimaginably superior to these physical bodies.We will be truly free.God bless
Happy Valentine’s Day to the Mainse family and fellowbloggers what’s left of it. Worked outside nearly the whole day raking roofs and blowing snow away from the shed before rain comes. The snow piled up in the back is far above the roof. This is old fashion winter here in NB but not 62 cm like expected in BC. Take care saints! Trust you enjoyed your day!