Like Any Other Man

Judges 16:17 “That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

… do you want to be just like everyone else? … like “any other man”?

Wanting to be like everyone else is something that has shaved so many Christians of the strength, power and presence of God in their lives today. Just as it did Samson, a hero of the faith, in Judges 16.

Samson is a guy often thought of in terms of “wasted potential” … but could the same be said about us? How much wasted potential are you going to leave behind when you exit this world?

Samson is famous for so stupidly becoming so powerless, so useless, so defeated. But is his demise any different to the state of the church and many Christians today?

We are firsthand witnessing a a version of church and Christianity which has become so powerless. Powerless to save. Powerless to deliver. Powerless to do anything about what’s going on in our nation today other than seek and grovel for acceptance in it … a Christianity that now knows it’s place, yet so far from the heavenly place Christ has reserved for us “Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?”

But it’s happened and happening for a reason. And it’s because Delilah’s close shave doesn’t just belong in the history books for us to tut tut Samson with… it’s coming to a Christian near you. We have to wake up Christians!

When Christians should have the shears, instead the Philistines do. There’s always a spiritual power struggle, a spiritual war going on. And in this generation, where past generations had victory, we are living in a time of defeat, like Israel was at this time in the book of “Judge not”.

What has Satan and this world and maybe his ministers in high positions shaved you of? King James Bible? Has that been cut clean off you? And the righteousness of God in Christ? That gone too? Is your calling shaved off you? Your testimony? Your influence? Has your desire to serve God and God only been saved off? Is your authority gone? Is the power to make a difference gone? Is the strength to stand gone?

Samson didn’t need to lose anything… he couldn’t be beat. And yet he ended up losing his eyes, his freedom, his testimony, his honour, he was betrayed by a lover who’s love was of no comparison to his Saviours… and yet he chose her.

We can all make bad choices, and we can all spend time in the wrong lap. I’m writing this because I’d love to see you live for God, lead others to Christ, and overcome this world through faith, and live in Canaan land not do circles in forty years as part of a wasted life… that doesn’t have to happen!

This is all a heart issue, as the Bible says… out of the heart are the issues of life. It was a heart issue for Samson, even Delilah saw that. She knew when he had bared his heart to her. And people talk about how their favorite person a person b or person c has a good heart… well that’s not what the Bible says.

If your heart is you want to be like everyone else, you want the world’s approval and friendship and validation, you’re in big trouble as a Christian. And yet so many Christians today beg and grove for the world’s acceptance, like Samson did as he tried to win Delilah’s love and favour… which he’d never have… you won’t either. This world has about as much love to give you as she did… and she had literally zero heart for Samson, and thought nothing of it as they bored his eyes out and turned him into a national joke.

When you read this chapter about Samson you wonder at how obvious this was and why Samson could not see the truth about Delilah. And yet, can’t you see what’s so obvious in your own life reader? Can you see what is so obvious? There are things as obvious to you as a reader reading about Samson and Delilah which are true of you! Samson grovelled for her love and approval, literally surrendered his strength and sight to get it… and he didn’t get it! She didn’t love him the least bit.

Why do you give up everything to win love and approval of that which will never love you back?… while you surrender everything good and true and right and just that Jesus Christ is, who died on the cross for your sins, who has promised to be with you even unto the end of the world?

Think about how upside down and far away from where we need to be but where Satan can get us. Right now, there are lots of professing Christians who are more opposed to real Christians than every ungodly antichrist movement there is. Christians who stand on the opposite side of God’s word on most, if not all issues. Probably some of the worst opposition I’ve ever received, and there has been some headwinds at times, it’s been from professing Christians!

Samson’s life and downfall in Judges 16 shows this. If you read around you’ll find out he was born and raised to deliver his people from the Philistines… and instead he found himself in the bedroom with them! We don’t read about Samson’s Hebrew mates, he’s always down there with the Philistine buddies and women! That’s how back the front Satan can get us, how deadly this love affair with the world we have is, and how stupid we can be when we were saved for so much more.

Samson literally fell asleep in Delilah’s lap. The most danger he’d ever been in, and he’s have a snooze right there in the worst place. Are you asleep Christian, in the most dangerous place you could be… in a time where you need to be awake and fleeing from every appearance of evil, you’ve instead made your bed there?

Many Christians today are asleep on Delilah’s knees, and she has greatly afflicted their walk with God, their potential for God, the testimony of God in their lives. Samson brought the name of his Lord into disrepute with his stupidity. Have you ever considered the damage you are doing to Christ’s name in the sin that you are engaging with?

There’s a philosophy in churches that goes something like this… you win people to Christ by being relatable and showing how “like them” and how “not different” you are.

… that doesn’t lead anyone to Christ. Yes it may get them to like you and even maybe them in church, but it doesn’t get them repentant and born again. If you convert someone to a false concept of Jesus Christ, that person is no less lost, but now has the deception of a religious delusion to further his or her malaise… ie. You made it worse for them.

What a wake up call this chapter is to every child of God!

For in this chapter, for all of his potential and promise… Samson’s life was reduced to a grind, grinding in the Philistine prison house. How many Christians, though they claim liberty… have none. You’re not allowed to share the gospel with anyone at work lest you be fired. You have no liberty to do anything. You watch sport, you listen to news, and you get the world’s beliefs rammed down your throat and you take it. And believe it! You barely touch the Bible, if ever, don’t even believe what you do read, and this world is like those Philistines gathering to make sport of Samson, your life becomes a joke to the enemy, and justifies sinners in their own eyes.

The stakes are high. So very high. Satan wants to take the true liberty of being saved and set free to serve Jesus Christ, and turn your Christianity and your church into prison grind, not the power of God. Christians these days are operating within very small confines they are still allowed to occupy. Be a Christian here in this manner, very contained, very controlled, going round and round on the same spot. Go to church, sing some songs and that’s Christianity done for the week.

And if you think you have liberty, tell someone to be saved this week, this month, this year… this decade… put Bible verses on and own Jesus on your facebook and instagram… bet you wont! And then you’ll say those that do are self righteous and religious, but the Bible says “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” And “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” and “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

See, you may claim liberty, but in reality you can’t speak up about anything, you’re like Lot in Sodom, he was afraid to say a peep, and he spent years there establishing himself, I’m sure, to lead some to his beliefs, to incept and slip some Jesus into someone when noone was looking… only to realize the only thing he’d achieved was losing his family and testimony there. He didn’t change the men of Sodom at all. He didn’t speak up about anything, he didn’t lead anyone to Christ, he wasted his life… and he walked with Abraham for years. So this all can happen to anyone.

You’re not going to win anyone to Christ by being like them. Show this world you’ve got something different, if it is that you have something different, maybe you don’t! Jesus is not of this world, he’s different, his kingdom is different, his commands, his laws, his ways… are DIFFERENT! That’s good! I’m glad God is far above us, and has something far greater for us that is going to take the ages to come and the power of endless life to discover.

So please today, do not be offended. I seek not to offend you, but I would like to stir up your most holy faith as Peter wrote. Do you want to make a difference? Do you want power? Well let God make you who he created you to be, who he called you to be. Let him be the potter and you the clay. Stop letting Satan and this world steamroll your Christian life. Stop trying to be liked by people and a system that won’t love you back. The Bible says the wisdom of God loves you back when you love it… this world doesn’t love you. Noone will ever love you like Jesus does, why settle for a love that is so far inferior?

Please note, yes Delilah was a physical woman. And many Christians are being defeated in the bedroom. But Delilah in your life can be a whole lot more. Delilah represents the wisdom of this world. She represents the seductions of worldly philosophy, worldly wisdom, worldly religion including false imaginations of Christ… behind which are spiritual forces who want to entice you away from the safety, truth and strength of God’s word, and the Holy Spirit “this is the true grace of God”.

I know this is strong talk, but strong talk will create strong Christians, I want to live for Christ and I’ve spent many years pathetically short of what God saved me to be. I’ve failed, stuffed up… I’ve sinned. But if you are sick of Christianity that has become irrelevant and “good for nothing” in terms of use to self and help to others and able to exert effect and influence, you need to listen up, not to me, but to God’s word.

Stop trying to be like everyone else! Stop trying to be like everyone else. Be free! Stand before God. Make sure his approval is on your life. Make sure he’s with you. We need men of God. Men of the Bible. Men of holiness. Men of obedience. Men of faith. Men of love. Men of power. People who know God’s word and stand for it even if no one else does. Yes the urging to the contrary will be strong, the Bible says Delilah URGED him… and he surrendered. This world will urge you, they will be urgent in you stepping into line, taking a nice snooze in the lap of someone and a system that will save all strength from you… but that’s not the place to rest your head, get in the Bible, get alone with God, set to your seal that he is true, repent of sins, trust in Jesus, live for Christ, make a difference with your life! You’ll be UNlike any other man! You’ll be who God made you to be!

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