Interesting official spoils of war.

Feminists will have a lot to say about this one. Animal activist should also raise a head for all the spoils of war as so much killing happens in the Bible for burnt offerings.

God instructed in Numbers 31v18: ‘But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.’ According to verse 32: ‘and the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was 675000 and 5000 sheep, v33: And 12060 beeves, v34: And 1060 asses, v35: And 32000 persons in all, of woman that had not known man by lying with him.’

In Deut 21v10, God says, ‘When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, v11: And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

v12: Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; v13: And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.’

It goes on to say that,  ‘And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.’ Should it be that easy?

The spoils of war are also mentioned in Judges 21 v12: ‘And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

v13: And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. v14: And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.’

To solve the crises of insufficient women to perpetuate the Benjamin tribe, Judges 21 v21 says, ‘And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.’

And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them. Wow.

Who God bless, no one curse.

Amongst the plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea opening, water from a rock, manna from heaven, the quails, the earth swallowing the wicked men of Korah by the earth in the desert, Sodom and Gomorrah, the birth of Isaac, the sacrifice of Abraham in Moria, the brass serpent that people looked up to and survived the snake bites, there is this one;

Numbers 22 v28: ‘And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?’ Balak solicited Balaam for his help in cursing Israel and joining forces to fight against them. God put an angel in the way of the donkey until it spoke these words.

Numbers 22 v29: ‘And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. v30: And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day?  was I ever wont to do so unto thee?  And he said, No.’

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Do not go against the word of God. Who God bless, no one curse. Talk to your problems and let them know they have to go away. They may be stubborn, but they must leave your life.

Marriages, Relationships or affairs?

Abraham was given a maid, Hagar, by his wife Sarah, to fulfill the prophesy of the ‘son of the promise’. Things turned sour after Sarah bore a son. Sarah was Abraham’s sister but from a different mother. The Bible stresses how very beautiful she was. Rebecca and Rachel are said to have been incredible beautiful. So when God blesses a man, he also gives a beautiful woman.

Jacob worked 7 years to marry Rachel but was given Leah. After working to marry Rachel, it turned out Rachel was barren, that she gave her maid, Bilhah to Jacob. Leah gave her maid, Zilphah to Jacob as well. Zilphah went on to bed Reubern, Jacob and Leah’s son.

Out of a betting scandal, aged Leah got to sleep with Jacob and bore Issachar and later Zebulun and a daughter called Dinah. (Rachel would finally mother Joseph and Benjamin). Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter, lost her virginity to Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country. Simeon and Levi killed all male and took all their possessions.

Later, Judah’s son Er, married Tamar who became widowed because God killed him for his wickedness. His brother Onan was given her to perpetuate his seed. Onan went in and spilled his sperm to the ground and God killed him for doing casual sex. Then Tamar tricked Judah, pretending to be a whore, getting his jewellery and sleeping with him. Judah had twins from his dead son’s wife, Phareh and Zarah. This Zarah brought his hand from the womb first, was marked, but then withdrew into the birth canal and Phareh was born first.

Joseph refused free sex from the amorous Potipher’s wife’s advances. Moses had a Midianite wife. Later, at around his 80’s, he married an Ethiopian woman, but his brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam started to murmur and God reproached them, punishing Miriam with 7 days leprosy.

God had killed over 24 000 people for fornication and adultery with the Moabites. One  man found himself a Midianite whore, crept into the tent with her. A Levite, Phinehas saw this and ran into the tent and drove a spear through them, killing them instantly while they had sex. God was pleased with his revolt and stopped killing people.

God refuses rewards for sex to be brought to his house, as set in Deut 23v18: ‘Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow.’

Samson married Delilah and she betrayed him to the Philistines who cut his hair. Rahab the harlot housed Joshua’s spies and she and her family were saved. She is the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deut 24v5: ‘When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.’ My wife may sue some companies for the loss of ‘cheer’.

Do we consider Eve’s betrayal as a sexual affair with the serpent? My Bible does not hint that way.

Joys of a Muslim woman, True?

(This is said to have been written by a woman born in Egypt as a Muslim, Nonie Darwish) 

In the Muslim faith, a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child, consummating the marriage by 9.  The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy.
 
Even though a woman is abused, she cannot obtain a divorce. To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses. Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry.
The family has the right to execute her (an honor killing) to restore the honor of the family. Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and the man does not have to say why he has beaten her. The husband is permitted to have 4 wives and a temporary wife for an hour (prostitute) at his discretion. The Shariah Muslim law controls the private as well as the public life of the woman.
 
In the Western World (America) Muslim men are starting to demand Shariah Law so the wife cannot obtain a divorce and he can have full and control of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law. By passing this on, enlightened American women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah Law.
 
Ripping the West in Two. Author and lecturer Nonie Darwish says the goal of radical Islamists is to impose Shariah law on the world, ripping Western law and liberty in two.
 
She recently authored the book, Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law.
 
Darwish was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza before immigrating to America in 1978, when she was eight years old. Her father died while leading covert attacks on Israe .  He was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer stationed with his family in Gaza.
 
When he died, he was considered a "shahid," a martyr for jihad. His posthumous status earned Nonie and her family an elevated position in Muslim society.
 
But Darwish developed a skeptical eye at an early age. She questioned her own Muslim culture and upbringing. She converted to Christianity after hearing a Christian preacher on television.
 
In her latest book, Darwish warns about creeping sharia law - what it is, what it means, and how it is manifested in Islamic countries. For the West, she says radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. Westerners generally assume all religions encourage a respect for the dignity of each individual. Islamic law (Sharia) teaches that non-Muslims should be subjugated or killed in this world.

Peace and prosperity for one's children is not as important as assuring that Islamic law rules everywhere in the Middle East and eventually in the world.

While Westerners tend to think that all religions encourage some form of the golden rule, Sharia teaches two systems of ethics - one for Muslims and another for non-Muslims. Building on tribal practices of the seventh century, Sharia encourages the side of humanity that wants to take from and subjugate others.

While Westerners tend to think in terms of religious people developing a personal understanding of and relationship with God, Sharia advocates executing people who ask difficult questions that could be interpreted as criticism.

It's hard to imagine, that in this day and age, Islamic scholars agree that
those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should b executed. Sadly, while talk of an Islamic reformationist common and even assumed by many in the West, such murmurings in the Middle East are silenced through intimidation.

While Westerners are accustomed to an increase in religious tolerance over time, Darwish explains how petro dollars are being used to grow an extremely intolerant form of political Islam in her native Egypt and elsewhere.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President by themselves! Rest assured they will do so... You can look at how they have taken over several towns in the USA ... Dearborn Mich. is one... and there are others...I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!

It is too bad that so many are disillusioned with life and Christianity to accept Muslims as peaceful... Some may be but they have an army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam... the peaceful support the warriors with their finances and own kind of patriotism to their religion. While America is getting rid of Christianity from all public sites and erasing God from the lives of children the Muslims are planning a great jihad on America.

Women out number men, there should be a reason

You may have read a Reuters story of men preferring women who cheat with women to those who cheat with men. Women’s preferences were found to be reversed. It is basically a sinful fantasy by men of having multiple partners simultaneously. With women, it is an issue of comparison, and naturally, women are more forgiving than men when it comes to adultery.

Thank God, I and Adam married the one woman each. Abraham waited for the son of the promise far too long and his wife to give an Egyptian housemaid named Hagar, for the birth of the heir. At 86 years of age, Abraham obliged to having a younger fertile woman.

(I must mention how the Holy Bible expresses how very beautiful Sarah, Abraham’s wife was. Abraham thought people would kill him for his wife and twice denied her, saying she was her sister, to Abimeleck and to Pharoah. Sarah was actually a daughter of his father, but different mothers. At 100, Abraham was circumcised with Ishmael, the same year Isaac was born of an aged Sarah.)

Abraham lost his wife, Sarah at about 128 years old and buried her, and went on to marry one more wife, Keturah. Many of us would envy the man with the fire power to marry at that age. Keturah mothered for Abraham, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. He had several concubines of his own. He died aged 175.

In ancient times, men’s pride lay with having seed to perpetuate the family name. As for people like Solomon who married 700 times and had 300 official concubines (and I am convinced there is more off record) it was a case of pleasure than need. Hard as it may for 2 women in bigamy, you see how the 700 harmoniously lived together, being at piece even with concubines. It is a gift men do not have.

Following his raw deal with uncle Laban, Jacob married Leah and then Rachel. Rachel gave in her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob for a concubine, and so did Leah. For sure, there were less grounds of jealousy here and maybe, that is why men had no fantasy of having more than one woman in bed. In the case of Solomon, it is safe to assume he did, because, how does one cater for a 1000 women?

Owed something? Try this.

The Philistines took the Ark of God from Ebenezer and brought it to Ashdod. They placed it in the temple of their god, Dagon. Each morning, they found their god fallen upon his face and finally broken into pieces.

The presence of the Ark in the enemy camp displeased God, and he destroyed them until they got rid of the Ark. They passed it around and many people died and suffered diseases of the genitals until they gave it back to Israel 7 months later with some sin offering of gold and silver.

They made a cart and sent it by untrained bullocks that delivered it without losing direction or their way until they came to the field of Joshua. The Ark was kept by Eleazar, Abinadab’s son for 20 years.

If there is one who owes you anything and are keeping it from you illegally and against your will or you have been robbed or cheated, pray that the same God can unleash the same power, that it can be released back to you. God’s power has not diminished since then, but you have to believe.

Hannah and Peninah

Hannah married Elkanah, who had Peninah as wife. Peninah had children while Hannah was barren. Peninah did to Hannah for her barrenness, the ‘na, nanana, na! Na, nanana, na! It worked wonders as it tore Hannah’s heart apart, to her delight.

Hannah grieved and prayed for a son and made a vow to God in front of the High Priest Eli, to dedicate him to Him. Hannah conceived and bore a son she called Samuel. She dedicated him to the Lord as per her vow. Hannah was to bear a further 3 sons and 2 daughters.

Eli’s sons were evil and corrupt, sleeping with women worshippers at the tabernacle of the congregation gate. This brought Eli’s family a curse, but Samuel grew and matured in spirit in the temple with Eli.

The Lord called Samuel while he slept, and all the 3 times, Samuel said, ‘Here I am’ rising and approaching Eli, perceiving he called him. Eli soon discerned that it was God calling him and instructed the boy accordingly. Samuel became famous as a prophet in Israel, though it was a time the Philistines oppressed them.

Israel went to war and lost badly until they remembered to bring the Ark of the Lord. They shouted loud at the Ark’s arrival, sending shivers down the Philistines’ spines. The Philistines knew how the Egyptians and the other nations were defeated with the presence of the Ark. They however did not want to entertain being ruled by Hebrews.

Hophni  and Phinehas, Eli’s sons were the Ark bearers. The Ark was captured the Eli’s sons died the same day. The 98 year old Eli died of shock, falling off his chair and breaking his neck, at the news of the capture of the Ark. Phinehas’s wife was pregnant at the time, and she went into labour upon hearing the news. She bore a son she named Ichabod and died too.

God answers enerst prayer. Pray without ceasing, believing every word you say and the promise of the Holy Bible.

The story of Ruth.

It is a little common and usually quoted for wedding invitation cards, the story of Naomi, having Orpah and Ruth as her daughters in law. Her her husband and sons, Mahlon and Chillion, died and she asked them to return to their homes. Orpah did, and Ruth stayed. In Bethlehem, Ruth gleaned Boaz’s field. Boaz was a rich close relative of Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband.

Boaz showed massive favours to Ruth and Naomi was impresses by it and gave her instruction about a visit to Boaz in the evening. Ruth 3v8: ‘And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. v9: And he said, Who art thou?  And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.’ I guess he knew that code. If it was me, I would have been lost.

He told her that there was a nearer kinsmen and he was going to hook her up but she must keep the secret. Ruth had bathed and was sweet smelling indeed, as per Naomi’s instructions. She then slept until the morning ‘and she rose up before one could know another’ and was instructed ‘Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.’

Boaz eventually married Ruth and she conceived and bore Obed. Obed fathered Jesse, the father of David. Incredible story of a Moabitish woman.

Israel's civil war

Following a horror Bible story of the levels of 'Friday the 13th' published here yesterday, here is a sequel of events that ended in a rather interesting way. As for today, ignore the gruelling act of brutality against women, though we are led through a cruel civil war of ancient times. At the end, somehow women were involved.

Israel took to arms against the Benjamites. Benjamites chose 700 left-handed soldiers, ‘every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss' according to the Holy Bible. But, however, they eventually lost the war. All women and children were killed and all of Israel was reconciled. However, they had vowed and sworn that no one would marry their daughters to Benjamites, but the Benjamites had to propagate somehow.

It was decided to attack and kill all Jabesh-gilead citizens and save the virgins only for Benjamites. The operation was successful but the numbers could not tally. Shiloh, north of Bethel and south of Lebanon had an annual virgin feast, probably like the South African or Swaziland Reed dances of virgins.

Judges 21 v 20: ‘Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; v 21: And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.’

Sounds like proper hunting tactics, but I guess these things work sometimes. God had compassion for the land despite all the sins and appalling acts. He can forgive you all your sins if you sincerely repent and call upon him and never going back that old life.

A very sad Bible story

One guy, a Levite, meaning a priest of God, dated a concubine a long while after Samson’s death. A concubine would either be a prostitute but largely an illicit cohabitant with men. She cheated on him and fled to her father’s house for 4 months. Her husband took a servant and 2 donkeys and followed her, to bring her back home.

Upon arrival, he was welcomed and his father in law ensured they stayed 3 days, at least. He begged them to stay a day, then 2, and 3, and so on. They ate and drank and partied. One night, he could not be detained anymore, and they left. The next night, tired and hungry, the passed Jerusalem and the servant asked the master if they could rest till the next day. The master convinced him that they pass and rest only in Ramah or Gibeah, which they did.

Without anyone hosting them, they sat on the street ready to sleep there. An old Ephramite man came from working his field and saw them. Though not a Benjamite, he had travelled to Gibeah. After they told their story of travelling from Bethlehem to mount Ephraim, he took them in and fed them.

As they relaxed and ready for sleep, there were men at the door wanting to sodomise the men, sons of Belial, as it happened with Lot’s visiting angels. Like Lot, the man offered his daughter and the guest’s concubine, for the perpetrators to quench their wicked thirst. As they strove to break his door, the host pushed the concubine out. They raped and abused her until the morning.

He took the weak concubine unto his donkey and they travelled till they got home. Judges 19 v 29: ‘And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. v30: And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.'

Japhtah, son of a harlot.

Israel had been worshipping idols again and deep in sin. Even at much praying, God told them to cry out to Baal and other idols for help from their enemies. He then felt pity for them and heard their cry. Now, they needed a leader to take them to war and found none.

Japhtah was a strong man of valour, the son of Gilead but born of a whore. Gilead’s wife’s sons chased him away since he was from a strange woman.

When the sons of Ammon came charging at Israel, they went to him and asked him to be captain. He said, ‘Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house?  and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?’ Judges 11 v7. He demanded to be their King if he won and they were good.

Japhtah made a vow with God, to offer a burnt sacrifice of the first thing that would come of his house when he comes from war, if God him victory. It was so, that God was with him and he subdued the children of Ammon.

As he came home, his only daughter came out singing and dancing. Japhtah was greatly aggrieved and explained to her what had just happened. And she said that he should fulfil his promise but ‘Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.’ Japhtah agreed and in due time sacrificed her as a burnt offering. This guy had guts.

He judged 6 years, after which Ibzan took over. He had 30 sons and 30 daughters and was in for 7 years. Elon judged 10 years, after which Abdon was in for 8 years. He had 40 sons. Think about the vows you make, and once you make them, fulfill them immediately and without fail

A woman can kill you

Gideon had 70 sons besides Abimelech, born of a concubine and of corrupt nature. He went to his maternal uncles and with the help of his mother, convinced them to have him as King rather than the 70 sons of Gideon. He killed all but one of them escaped and Abimelech was made King. Israel had gone back to their corrupt ways. Abimellech’s brother, Jotham who survived the slaughter, was informed of these things and in his disgust and anger told this parable;

Judges 9:8: ‘The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. v9: But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? v10: And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. v11: But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?’

‘v12: Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. v13: And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? v14: Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. v15: And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

Jotham was disturbed and questioned if Israel had ‘done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king’ saying ‘For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian.’

Abimelech ruled for three years and killed many people of Shechem. In one of the wars, he pursued his enemies, coming to a high tower, and a woman saw him, dropped a grinding stone that broke his skull and he fell. Judges 9v54: ‘Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.’

After him ruled Tola for 20 years and then Jahir 22 years who had 30 sons. Any problems can kill you, including women. Pray.

Tsendex's Blog: Mourinho's African Connection

Tsendex's Blog: Mourinho's African Connection

Anything is possible, only to those who believe

Israel offended God again for 7 years. Midianites oppressed so hard that they ended up staying in the caves. They did own a donkey or even a cat. They were church mice.

God’s angel appeared to one man who wanted a sign that indeed God sent him. That man was Gideon. The angel caused fire from a rock to consume the sacrifice Gideon had made. Gideon was to seek further signs to prove God would be with him in his assignments.

Judges 6:37: ‘Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. v38: And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

v39: And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. v40: And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.’

God then reduced Gideon’s army from 22000, to a 1000 and finally a mere 300. Judges 7v22: ‘And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout the entire host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.’ The Midianites killed themselves and gave Israel the victory.

Gideon pursued Zalmunna and Zebah, commanding the princes of Succoth to feed his war weary army. They questioned the logic because they were loyal to Zebah and Zalmunna. And he said to them, in Judges 8v7: ‘Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.’ Men of war have humour sometimes. However, he carried out his threat and during his life, there was peace for 40 years.

Gideon had 70 sons of his own body, for he had many wives, and his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son called Abimelech. He died after living a long life. I do not know where he took the strength of satisfying his many wives and concubine and fight great wars. With God, anything is possible.

The power of seduction.

Samson was born at the times of the Philistines terrorizing the Israelites left right and centre. An angel of God appeared to his parents before his birth. His father, Manoah, asked what the angel’s name was.(He was not yet aware he was an angel) but then he said ‘Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?’ Manoah offered a burnt offering to God in his presence and ‘and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.’ Judges 13v20: ‘For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar.’

We all know Samson was to be a Nazarite from his mother’s womb. That is to say, he drank neither wine nor strong drink, and never shaved his hair. Samson grew and went to the Philistines and met a beautiful lady named Timnath. His parent could not understand how he went, saw and wanted to marry a damsel of the uncircumcised Philistines while he could have married an Israeli woman, but he insisted, ‘Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.’

Him and his parents went to see this girl. While at the fields, Samson left his parents and proceeded alone. He met a huge lion wanting to tear him apart. Samson killed him bare handedly, as if he dealt with a young kid or lamb, but he kept it a secret. After meeting his girl, he returned to his parent, passing by the lion carcass he killed. He saw bees on its body and there was honey. He took the honey and ate and brought to his parents.

Samson made a feast for his woman and challenged his in-law companions to solve a riddle for a price within a week.  Judges 14v14: ‘And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.  And they could not in three days expound the riddle.’ The young men threatened Tamnath with burning her father’s house if she did not get the answer from Samson. She then seduced him to telling the answer, which she passed on.

Judges 14v18: ‘And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey?  and what is stronger than a lion?  And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.’ Samson met his end of the bargain farely, killing 30 Ashkelon men and taking their spoils for the wedger. His girlfriend was then offered to his buddy.

Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, tied their tails in pairs and set the tails alight. The foxes, their tails alight, ran with great speed into the fields of the Philistines, burning all crops. They then burnt his wife and father in law with fire and he was still angry with them. Judges 15v8: ‘And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.’

The Philistines invaded Judah and demanded the arrest of Samson. 3000 men of Judah went to the mountain to bind and deliver him to the enemies. When he came near to them, the Spirit of God filled him and he broke all that bound him, found a fresh jaw bone of a donkey and killed a thousand of the Philistines.

After throwing away that bone, ‘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?’ Judges 15v19: ‘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.’

Samson came to Gaza and met a prostitute that he slept with. People of Gaza planned for his kidnapping hoping to kill him the next morning. Judges 16v3: ‘And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.’

Mr Loverman saw a woman in the valley of Solek and loved her. She was the famous Delilah. Their story is one of the commonest in the Bible. The Philistines bribed her to solicit to him to reveal to her the source of his powers. After several attempts, she repeated her probe she made here in Judges 16v13: ‘And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.’ He poured his heart out to her, and she cut his hair and he was an ordinary man.

The Philistines arrested him, removed his eyes and jailed him because the Lord God departed from him. Then they organized a banquet to honour their gods in a huge theatre with many people. ‘When their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.  And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport.’ The blind Samson asked the lad that led him to let him feel the pillars that supported the building so he could lean on them.

Samson remembered God,  ‘And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.’ Judges 16v28. Samson bowed and with all his might, pulled the pillars down and the building fell killing all the Philistine kings and their guests. He killed more people at his death than when he was alive. He was judge for 20 years.

Barak and Deborah

There was peace for 80 years and after Ehud’s death, Shamgar, the son of Anath, killed 600 Philistine men with an ox horn and delivered Israel. Then, it was back to square one, oh naughty Israel. They were then oppressed for 20 years by Canaanites. They were however delivered by Barak and Deborah.

The Canaanites king was one Sisera. In his battle with Israel, the leader of the Canaanites fled to a woman’s tent as he could not stand the firepower. He came to one Jael Heber’s wife, and way off. He went into her tent and stayed there a while.

Judges 4:20: ‘Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here?  that thou shalt say, No. v21: Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary.  So he died.’

Foolish death indeed. When he came in huffing and puffing, he asked water, and she gave him milk and she brought forth butter in a royal vessel. Women!!

A warrior called Joshua

After Moses retired as the general of the Exodus, entered Joshua. He conquered 31 kings in his life time. We are talking about the man who prayed for the sun to stop as he went about his war. It was so until he was done. Joshua led Israel to the Promised Land, circling Jericho 7 seven times to bring down its walls.

God hates idolatry and the Israelites liked it. It was their weakest points. Man is a worshipper. By not worshipping God, we worship something else and God gets very angry. All nations feared and revered Israel for their God, as they heard His power by the miracles of Egypt, the desert and upon other nations that fought against them.

After Joshua died, for 8 years Israel suffered from the Mesopotamian king because of their evil and forsaking of God. After that, Caleb’s young brother’s son, Othniel was judge. He went to war and delivered the Israelites. There was peace for 40 years. He died and they sinned.

Moabites, ruled by a very fat king called Eglon, oppressed Israel for 18 years. Moab was the son of Lot by one of his daughters. God raised a man to deliver Israel. The left-handed Ehud sent king Eglon a present, but secured a sharpened double edged 30 cm dagga on his right thigh, under his garment.

This reminds me of the war Joshua fought when he conquered Ai. He took few men to the city, while his army laid ambush, enticed his enemies out of the city. Ai and his army, and all the city went in hot pursuit of Joshua and the army entered an empty city, burning it to the ground. Ai was in Joshua and his burning city. The rest is history, indeed.

Anyway, Judges 3v20: ‘And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. v21: And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. v22: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly and the dirt came out. v23: Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.’

Are you ready to deal with the things of this world? You better be.

Sin's Facebook Page

Often times, the Holy Bible talks of the outward beauty of the main characters. It describes their countenance as calmly to the eye, goodly. King Saul is said to have been such besides being taller than any Israelite at that time. The same is said about David, though David was an exceptional musician and dancer. He was a true warrior with a heart of a lion.

Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth asked David for a political truce and David could only say, ‘Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.’ This Michal was ‘which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.’ 2 Samuel 3v15: ‘And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish. v16: And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim.  Then said Abner unto him, Go, return.  And he returned.’

David had an option of marrying every single virgin his land produced, but he chose to get to a married woman who was given away to another man by her father. As a matter of principle, David was right because he married her and paid dowry.  You will remember how he later on married Abigail, a widower. David's appetite for mature women is evident throughout his life. 

This went a little too far when King David killed Uriah for his very beautiful wife after seeing her curves and bust when she took a bath. It was in times of political distress, David absconded from going to war, became idle and wandered at the roof top of his house. With all men gone, women were at liberty to lax their bath times and how they dressed. This was an opportune moment for sin to strike and David clicked the 'Like' button.

Eve met the snake that brought the original sin while she was strolling by and killing time. She gave in to temptation by also clicking the devil's fan page. Being idle is the sin's Facebook page. If you have spare time, read the Holy Bible and pray. You can always visit http://www.tse-dailybread.blogspot.com/

Your opinion is very irrelevant

In Leviticus 18 v22, the true and unchanging Word of The Almighty God, the Holy Bible says, ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. v23: Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.’ God knows what He wants and what we should be or not be. If you want to convince him otherwise, try.

The account of the wickedness of the cities of the plain where Lot lived, is also underlined by the visit of the angels to Abraham’s nephew. Men of Sodom wanted to have sex with male angels. Lot was willing to offer his virgin daughters rather, but these men wanted men to ‘sodomise’ them. For their daily sins, Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by brimstone and fire.

The angels saved themselves by blinding the ‘hot’ pursuers. Often, we have found pleasure in defiling ourselves with what we feel is right. It is not about us, but about Him as our Creator. So many times have we and the people in the Bible thought in making things right the wrong way. We think God made a mistake.

Lot’s daughters had sex with their father after giving him too much wine to drink, to perpetuate his offspring. That is how Moab and Benammi were born. God’s plan is always adequate. It is necessary to fear God and to give Him the necessary respect and honour, both as our Creator and for just who He is. He takes pride in us and all His creation.

Further in Lev 19v28, He forbad tattoos. ‘Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. v29: Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.’

Man sleeping with men is a big issue with God. Lev 20v13 says, ‘If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. v14: And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.’

Unfortunately, these days marriage is neither a one man and one woman affair, but can be ‘man to man’ or ‘woman to woman’. God called it an abomination and we have ordained preists and given away children in adoption.

The Holy Bible is utterly silent on women sleeping together. It does not make it right either. In Deutoronomy 23v17, it says: ‘There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.’

Do you think God has changed that stance, or He has forgotten or retired or was joking or even say He was not aware of Human Rights and other Freedom Charters that we have made since those days? Whose words are final, ours or His? Judge ye!

Did Solomon father the Queen of Sheba's son?

The queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones, and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

There is a book of one religion that gives a story of the visit, stating that the floor of Solomon’s palace was of glass and the queen dreaded to cross it thinking it was water. It further states how she perceived Solomon would seek a gift in kind; hence she came forth right and told him he must promise not to touch her. The deal was that the promise stood on condition she drank no water at night.

The wisdom of the cunning and amorous Solomon led to his servant serving all the food that made her thirsty frequently. In her quest to quench the thirsty, she found Solomon in the kitchen and the rest is history. The belief is that the resultant child is the Ethiopian people. It is claimed the queen sent her son to see her father but he stole the Ark of the Covenant.

The Holy Bible says that when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

According to 1 King 10v6: ‘And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. v7: Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.’

God had promised Solomon the wisdom and riches that no man will ever have. It is holy to assume Solomon enjoyed earthly life as much as he is in heaven. It cannot be same or worse. How much are you willing to sacrifice to live a Solomon life forever after? Repent and believe, confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour.

David’s therapy was a virgin

King David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes. 

1 Kings 1v2: ‘Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.’

It happens with our lives occasionally and one thing to do about a situation is hastily find a suitable and sound solution as in the case above. The error associated with this is lack of faith in whatever action we take. Even dire is the confession of our faith without deeds. For, faith without deeds is dead and without faith it is impossible to please God.

God will give you the desires of your own heart, as much as the devil will reward his to compete. Usually, his gifts look more colourful and very generous. The consequential calamity is as grievous. Know that Jesus Christ came to give life and life in abundance, while the devil came to steal, kill and to destroy.

In your pursuit for happiness in this world, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

In the verse above, I should like to mention for your information, that David did not have sex with her.

What happens soon after you die

Central to everything I believe, is the idea of a perfect environment of Christianity that is without controvesy. However, there is always debates, sometimes so large that they affect the way our lives are run and how we are governed. It is one of the reasons why Martin Luther left the Roman Catholic Church to form the Lutheran Church.

Sparing the agony of the unnecessary details, issues of the Holy Trinity and the life after death lead these debates. I will tell you what the Holy Bible says about what happens when you die. The prophecies and visions of Seers and great prophets of the Holy Bible sometime give the impression to the poor reader, that one dies and their spirit camps in some hotel or lodge somewhere for whatever reason and duration.

Amongst a few verses dealing specifically with this matter, is one where the Lord Jesus Christ said to the thief on the cross, 'Surely I say to you, today I will be with you in paradise.' People still need to disect the 'today' in the sentence. They seem to believe, Christ was 'date stamping' the saying without giving the specifics of the day of fulfilment of the promise. The Lord also implied in the parable of Lazarus and The Rich Man; 'The rich man died and went to hell and Lazarus died and went to Abraham in heaven.' There was no 'gap year' here.

In the Old Testament, you will remember King Saul had sinned a great sin and as a result, Samuel (his spirit as he was already dead) gave Saul the this assurance; 1Samuel 28v19: 'Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.' This event, as prophesised, happened the very next day, meaning Saul and his sons met Samuel in heaven soon after his death.

For interest sake, this is how Saul died, for fear of uncircumcised Philistines; 1 Chronicle 10v3: 'And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. v4: Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.  But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid.  So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. v5: And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.'

It is appointed that should man die, after that judgement.

Just a 100 foreskins

Cutting a fore skin is a job, but a 100? Quite tiresome, unhygienic and cruel; not for a woman though. David had to meet an impossible end of the deal with King Saul for the marriage of Michal, the king’s daughter. There were not ordinary foreskins. They belonged to the Philistines, champions of war.

2 Samuel 3v14: ‘And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines’. David loved his wife that he could have brought more foreskins if need be. He may have needed something larger to carry them.

When faced with challenges in your lives, get up and fight a good fight, the cause you believe. Kneeling down and praying will is not enough. There is always a price to pay for a good thing. Pay it, because if it’s free, it’s fake or will flee. As you make your errands, ask God to be with you and the impossible will be possible, if you believe.

What do you want for your life to change? It will cost just a 100 foreskins. 

The games we played, Joshua played

Whatever your background, one of your favourite games as a child would be hide and sick, whatever the reason. Besides that, there would be ball games of differing variations. Dodge ball would be a common one among many people, then there would be one where a team aims at stacked 6 or cans to totally dismantle the assembly with a single hit, and then try to build the same pyramid dodging the ball.

The other version consisted of emptying a litre of sand from a tight necked bottle and then refilling the same amid ball fire. It always was fun despite the noise always associated with bullies who never lost graciously. The best part was that both boys and girls were involved and everything was legal.

There were games our mothers never allowed us to play. They always involved entering into a pact, loosely referred to as ‘joining’. In one, the rules were simply that whosoever was seen holding whatever item on their left hand at anytime and a code word was said, the holder gave the item away to the caller, regardless to whom the item belonged. The dangers here are obvious.

Along the same lines, was a pact of just ‘grab and dash off’ with whatever is in the other person’s hand. There would games of a similar nature where a punishment was meted upon the loser by bringing both hands together in prayer-like manner, but pointing forward and stretched. Depending on the offence, one hot claps without moving the hands away. After the mandatory hits, the victim had to try to evade the hit once and it would be over. Failure to act fast enough meant immense pain.

The most unfortunate was simply ‘Bend over’. After entering a pact, bending over invited a simple ‘free kick’ to the back side. It was the pleasure of the kicker however he executed it. As you can imagine, the mechanism of the whole idea was detrimental to the girls. Our moms never allowed such games for neither boys nor girls.

Though a little civil but very silly, was ‘Statue’. Usually, a member would be in an awkward position when the code name ‘statue’ is called out and one had to freeze at that very moment, until released. The great Warrior and man of God, Joshua, played this one with his maker. Joshua went to war and had his business unfinished as the day went by. Joshua said to the sun, ‘Freeze’, and it was so until he had killed all his enemies. The sun and the moon stood still in excess of about 12 hours and never before and after was that ever seen again.

Do we have faith to ask the impossible from God? He promises that when we seek first His Kingdom, all things will be added unto us. All.    

Talk and wait but patiently

One man God called friend, was a murderer, but you do not have to be one to know God. People God punished the most, were sinners who forsook Him and never repented of their iniquity.

God always had a plan. The Holy Bible does not mention any plan B for any of His desires. He wants His plans executed well by us. He always chose people to do his deals and with specifications.

It is easy to look down, feeling beaten, because you ask yourself who you are. Who was Moses? God chose a man ‘baby-dumped’ by his mother to do wonders, treacherous against his master, Pharaoh, but he a revolted man, which God loved. For all his stammering, he became the only man God spoke face to face by mouth.

There are things you will do at work, school, home and everywhere that God would never trust other people you envy to do. Moses had a special relationship with God and received direct orders and the tablets of testimony, the 10 commandments that He had hand written for people who are like me and you, gone rogue.

Exodus 32v7: ‘Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; v8: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; v9: And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.’

In his case, Moses had his hands full because the people of Israel complained like a pregnant woman. He took a swipe at God, telling him that it was His people that he had brought them out of Egypt. It sounded like Moses was reminding God who was God, actually, that Moses was not the creator of God’s children and therefore He must deal with them because they are his. He was almost counseling God Almighty.

Ex 32 vs11 ‘And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? vs12: Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?  Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.’

Often we pray and forget to praise and worship God. We have to put him in His place. He is our Creator. Moses went on to say Egyptians would think that He was a ‘mischievous’ God, if God did not ‘repent and withdraw anger’. Wow. And God did repent. After pleading and winning the case for the Israelites, Moses broke the tablets of stones God wrote with His finger. He found Israel worshipping idols. It is the patience we lack after we make a prayer. As the answer is on the way, we make decisions that anger the messenger who eventually does not bring the answer to us.

There is only one Moses, but you too, can plead your case sincerely and in faith, and be granted the wishes of your heart, the salvation of your soul first and then everything else.

Is this us or what?

The Israelites were bondmen and bondwomen in Egypt for 430 years. They suffered great proportions building pyramids and kings tombs. They were greatly oppressed to the extent of causing 'pain' to God.

God took their suffering away and in the process, showed them first hand, His mighty power and presence. Before they even departed Africa, they had seen the plagues and then saw the Red Sea open for them to cross and how the Egyptian army drowned.

Amongst other things, they saw food fall from the sky, without any need to irrigate for 40 years, and yet starved not. They saw water coming off a rock twice. They saw God at the foot of Mount Sinai as a heavy cloud and a thunderous sound, that they even said to Moses, ‘Tell God we do not want to meet with Him again, He may kill us’.

Despite all this, they complained, comparing their situation to the one in slavery. They would ask Moses whether there were not enough graves for their burial in Egypt because he wanted them to die in the desert. After one such incident, when they said Egypt had meat for them to eat, and that they were tired of manna, God said he would provide them meat for them to eat ‘until it came out of your nostrils’.

This was His order to Moses; Numbers 11v18: ‘And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat?  for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.’

‘ v19: Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; v20: But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’

This sounds like us sometimes. God takes us out of one bad situation so we can rise and grow to another level. When we face a challenge, instead of fighting to push through, we take the very fighting energy and strength for regret and self pity, regressing and wanting to get back to a worse situation. God’s heart bleeds exceedingly at this ungratefulness.

They really loved their wives

Jesus was at the Gathesmane garden when He left the 3 disciples, asking them to ‘watch and pray’. That time, they found praying hard because they could not watch. They slept.

Nowadays, it is easier to pray. We just use words and words. We sing and dance without a deep thought of the words we say or sing. Basically, we pray and sit on our bums and wait. This is not enough. We need to ‘watch’.

For a long time I wondered how the Mighty God of the Holy Bible took the children of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land, doing all wonders amongst them, that at the final stages, He asked Moses to send spies to see Canaan.  

They were not an army or military trained. So spying is for war. If God gave them the land, why the war? This teaches us that no matter God’s work in our lives, our contribution matters. It may mean just showing face, but we must ‘watch’ and see. We must seek.

You cannot pray for a job if you present a bad CV and are not responding to job ads or even walking from door to door. Laying on your back all day and night, depending on prayer alone is a non-starter.

If you do not have a drivers’ license, do not pray for a car. You must do things and do them right and then pray for them to come true. It is both illegal and dangerous to drive without a license and if you get a car before then, it could be from God, but I doubt it.

The spies went to the Promised Land and brought back grapes as proof that the land was indeed fertile. Numbers 13v27: ‘And they told him (Moses), and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.’

This was a good report and surely exactly what God had always said, but there was as much Thomasism here as in the New Testament, when they began to describe the giant sons of Anak and how the cities are walled. Things in life are hedged and that wall in your life can be broken by you.

If you have to look for your own job and work well to keep. Your marriage is your own to maintain, and you must keep a positive image of yourself to boost your own self esteem. People are pre-occupied to see your world with your eyes or to praise you and admire whatever you do. It is your life and hence your responsibility.

Never be negative or speak ill of yourself. Caleb wanted the Israelites to go straight away and take that land, but the rest that were with him chickened out. Numbers 13v31: ‘But the men that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.’

‘v32: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, the land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. v33: And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.’

If you see yourself as a grasshopper in the world of problems, you are a grasshopper in the world of your problems and no one will convince you otherwise, but yourself. The next verse tells how all the people started to lift their voices and cried. Imagine that, even those who did not see the giants were wailing, but why? Crying for the death of their wives that were still amongst them?

Wow, they loved their wives

If we are faithful ....

Paul always pointed out to the churches of old, to stay away from lying. It was one of his biggest concern, that people get idle and then go around gossiping, either and the givers or receivers. He was pained by idolatry and sacrifices to the devil. Even as much was the issue of adultery and fornication.

Adultery is extra marital sex while fornication is pre-marital sex. These issues were so much of a concern throughout his preaching as also evidenced by the mention of them by others wherever they preached. Jealousy and coveting other people’s things was as bad.

There were issues concerning all moral behaviour and being good to other people. He even mentioned several times how much important it was to give attention to the Lord Jesus Christ’s greatest commandments to ‘love one your neighbour as you love yourself’ in which case, most these issues will not be done.

The law of the Jews limited them to following these and many others and then, at an appointed time, animals were slaughtered for their blood to wash away the sins under the laws of the Priests. That was enough for them, and they wanted to continue with this as it was a law given unto Moses by God.

Therefore, believing is mandatory for us to be saved. When we have that faith, to be truly following the Lord Jesus and completely believing, we cannot be found wanting in character, hence the verse of ‘faith without deeds is dead’. We must show both to others and God that we believe, as it is also said that ‘without faith it is not possible please God’    

As I read through, these issues are like flesh onto faith as the requirement for salvation. There is no other name under Heaven wherein humans can be saved. But then, you have to act the faith. In believing in the Most High God, and being forgiven sins, actions must follow you all the days of your life.

If we are faithful and righteous, he is faithful to forgive our sins.

Stop your ADDICTION to suffering

Paul travelled the length and breadth of the New Testament world on foot and sea in very precarious and dangerous proportions, escaping death by a whisker on far more occasions than most people experience in their entire life time. So painful is his account of what he went through. Imagine, he had no Twitter, Facebook, cellphone or internet to reach his audience but he could dial his 911, Jesus Christ.

Read this account in 2nd Corinthians 11v22: ‘Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. v23: Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. v24: Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. v25: Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep.’ He even forgets the venomous snake bite.

For me, 2010 was ‘low gear’ year. It was like travelling 1200 miles on gear one, the whole year. So much joy was taken off me by the devil, especially my finances. The determination to 2011 a better year is even greater. I wish my revolt would infect you as well. The Apostle Paul suffered more for the cause of Christ and never gave up once.

v26: ‘In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; v27: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.’

Do not be addicted to suffering. There is an answer for all your problems. Jesus died and rose again. So then, what is being broke? What is disease? What are family or marital problems? They are not greater than He. No. Dial Him and give Him your story. Jesus is on-line ready for a live chat with you.

Be blessed!

A champion, a pain.

‘We find this man a pestilent fellow’ Acts :24:5: ‘For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes’.

He was said to be a stirrer of troubles by the very people who needed Jesus in their lives. He was labelled a heretic and a blasphemer. Paul was given a name of the Greek god Mercurius because he was a chief speaker when he preached and performed miracles on his journey with Barnabas, who was referred to as Jupiter.

Moses used to have very strong words with God in the desert when God would ask him to tell his people blah blah. He would then say to him, you cannot give and leave your creations to die in the desert. What will they say? What will our enemies say? Who brought us out of Egypt?’ At that point would concede that he will do something, but they are ‘a stiff necked people’.

Throughout Paul’s story, it was sad to see that from those days of Moses, to the times of the Lord Jesus Christ through to the beginning of the church of Christ, they never believed. God had however made special arrangements with them for life. For this reason, they were more jealous to share any platform with us ‘of uncircumcision’. This was the borne of contention, if ever they wanted to believe his story.

There are times people actually thought Paul was possessed by evil spirits himself because of the miracles he performed. He was bitten by a very poisonous viper in Malta after their shipwreck on his way to Rome as a prisoner to be tried by Ceaser. The locals first said he should have been a murder as after being in trouble in the sea, the snake does not want to spare his life.

Felix actually called Paul mad, saying in Acts 26:24: ‘And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.’ His response was genuine and defensive, saying in verse 27: ‘King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.’

 and in v28 Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.’ Agrippa was married to a Jewess called Bernice.

Paul had a very bad record against Christianity, yet he became its greatest instrument ever. So can you

Early church; Paul was so cool.

Paul was a bitter and energetic destroyer of the early church. Peter and the 10 remaining disciples of Jesus, after the ascension of our Lord, as ordered by Him, remained in Jerusalem for 40 days and gathered in the upper room in the day of Pentecost, where they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues.

The disciples had to find a replacement for the dead Judas Iscariot, and did that by lot casting and Mathias was chosen. The Holy Spirit inspired great works of Jesus Christ through the hands and words of the disciples in a way that shook the ancient world. For this reason, they were like the ‘enemies of the state’ of the Roman Empire colonised Jews.

One Saul, heard about the new doctrine and was vehemently opposed to its existance. He carried the clothes and lunchboxes for the murderers of the first matyr, Stephen and went on to ask the High Priest for special permission to cause havoc, arrest and imprison the preachers of Jesus Christ in the early Church. He said in Acts  22v4 ‘And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.’ and Acts 26v11: ‘And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.’

Through the miraculous work of God, Saul was converted becoming Paul. Gal 1v13: ‘For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it’ also mentioning in Acts 9v3: ‘And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.’ and was the biggest character of the New Testament, beside the King, Lord Jesus Christ. But then, who was Paul?

Paul (formerly Saul) came Tarsus (no mean city), a town known for its high class education, probably the best private schools in the history of the Ancient times. He was an Israelite, a Jew, a born free Roman, a Pharisee, an orator and probably a lawyer who was multi lingual, speaking and able to write Greek, Hebrew, Latin and probably other languages. He could ride a horse.

Paul spoke well and was very bold, though not very big physically. His boldness can be seen when he stood up against Simon Peter for saying something he did not agree with, despite Peter having seen and been with Jesus Christ. Despite not having met Jesus Christ in flesh, the Holy Spirit drove him more than any other person known.

For the Lord Jesus that he ‘prosecuted’, Paul suffered physical brutality of the highest degree for a learned man and a man of his reasoning capacity and stature. He suffered humiliation and pains of indescent proportions and never gave up. What a man!

You do not have to be Paul. Just believe.

Moses to God, ‘Hey dude, wanna see your face my man’

I would have loved to start with the Old Testament issues to maintain a chronological order of things, and because of the very fascinating characters and events that always blow my mind with every read. Nonetheless, Christianity as we know it now, and the Church, are of the New Testament.

From both historical evidence and writings, as well as spiritually inspired prophesies, the Gospels carry Jesus Christ's ministry, which I will spare you for now, as you may know them by heart, and start with Luke’s writing of the Acts of the Apostles. Like Solomon, in the Old Testament, his writing inspires me to great levels.

Luke was a Gentile (non-Jew), a medical doctor by profession and had an esteemed friend called ‘Excellent’ Theophilus, (Luke 1v1: Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.

v2: Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; v3: It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, v4: That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.) to whom he writes both The Gospel according to Luke and The Acts of the Apostles.

Luke wrote his books with a great details and marvel of the experiences of people that had been with Jesus Christ, Son of God, from the beginning of his birth to his crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension, i.e in the Gospel, especially the healing and resurrection of the dead.

In The Acts, he also wrote witnesses accounts and even more so from first had experiences as he actually travelled with the Apostle Paul in the some of the major journeys. (Acts :21:1: ‘And it came to pass, that after WE were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara’. This is just one one several ‘WE’s by Luke).

In the Old Testament, there is no doubt how much important people like Abraham, Gideon, Joshua, Samson, and David, among others, shape the faith.  The most charismatic for me was Moses. This is the only man in the Bible to have talked to God face to face – no ‘in-betweens’ nor dreams. God called him ‘friend’ and for his part, Moses had the audacity to say, ‘Hey Dude, we always chat and I wish to see you live my man.’

God was so moved by this and told him that no man sees his face and live. God compromised for his pal, made an appointment and told his to close his eyes. God actually came, covered Moses’s face with his hand and walked past and had Moses open his eyes to see his back.

He is the only man to have physically seen God while on this earth. I know that despite this, for a different reason, God forbid him to reach the promised land.

My point is that, Paul for me, was the Moses of the New Testament, i.e as an instrument of King Jesus Christ. Of course there was John the Baptist and the disciples.