Special Announcement: You are encouraged to visit the website, SaveLivesNow.org to see the property Times of Refreshing is claiming in faith as our new headquarters to save lives and train lifesavers.
Worship: For Heaven’s Sake The story of Samson proves how one wrong step can lead to the breakdown of strongholds and end in an early death that does not best honor God. It proves the saying He who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. (Read more below.)
Wellness: For Health’s Sake Sometimes breathing deeply is all you need to do to bring down your blood pressure. Pastor Flemons, a doctor of biblical wellness, led hearers into a practice session of deep breathing. (Read more below.)
(NOTE: Before following any advice given here, please read our disclaimer on this page.)
Special Prayer was offered for a live call-in listener: 5334. Please pray for this person.
Listeners Speak Out!
“I thank God for allowing me to go to Times of Refreshing. It changed my life. I felt like a whole new person.” —Jason (The Jason Holt Story)
“This is a powerful ministry!”—0091 (Indiana)
“I love y’all! … It is no mistake that you are in my life.” —-Annette (Michigan)
“Thank you for [the] presentation. It hit home in many ways. It was confirmation for me for things that I have been praying about.” —-7587 (Virginia)
Listen
Watch
Playback: To listen by phone to former broadcasts, call (712) 770-4019. Access Code: 635270. Reference number for today’s broadcast: 395.
Last Night: Sentenced Twice and The Prayer of Anointing. Reference number 394.
TOPICS THIS WEEK – February 26 to March 4.
Worship Sunday -Samson; Monday – The Child Samuel; Tuesday – Eli and His Sons; Wednesday – The Ark Taken by the Philistines; Thursday – The Schools of the Prophets; Friday – The First King of Israel; Saturday, the Sabbath – The Presumption of Saul
[All topics per Patriarchs and Prophets (PP) by Ellen G. White, available at this link: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/pp/pp.asp.]
SHARE THIS PRESENTATION on your social media sites.
DONATE on this site. HELP expand this ministry.
***
Words of Encouragement
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
***
For Heaven’s Sake…
Samson had been given every opportunity to successfully complete his mission to begin to deliver the Israelites from the terror of the Philistines. Before his birth, his mother was given strict instructions regarding her diet. She was to eat no unclean thing. She was to drink no wine and no strong drink. In her practice of self-denial and self-control, Samson would gain the benefit. He would have the advantage of moral power, strong nerves, and physical strength.
“There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.PP 562.1″
That is where Samson miserably failed. “Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. …PP 562.2″
Samson’s failure was in his association with the haters of Israel and Israel’s God. It broke down his strongholds. His incredible strength was chopped down bit by immoral bit, until he lost all strength. He had only acted. He had failed to ask whether his actions would honor God. Instead, his only goal was to please himself. In pleasing himself, he failed to accomplish the divine mission God had placed on his life and bring God honor. Instead, the enemies of God celebrated their god Dagon and made Samson their unholy entertainment.
“After a time, as if weary, Samson asked permission to rest against the two central pillars which supported the temple roof. Then he silently uttered the prayer, ‘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.’ With these words he encircled the pillars with his mighty arms; and crying, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ he bowed himself, and the roof fell, destroying at one crash all that vast multitude. …PP 566.4”
It was only in his afflictions that Samson was led to true-hearted confession and repentance. Only then was he led into a protected space with God, reserved by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. In that space, Samson regained strength, held onto the pillars and ground of truth, and with them slew more in his death than in his life. For the first time he had subdued his selfishness and prayed that God would allow him to die a selfless death, while finally accomplishing his divine mission in life.
(This study is based on Judges 13 to 16, and chapter 54, “Samson,” in Patriarchs and Prophets (PP), by Ellen G. White, available at this link: http://www.whiteestate.org/books/pp/pp.asp.)
For Health’s Sake…
Close your eyes and calm down from all distractions. Through your nostrils, inhale for 4 seconds. Hold that breath for 6 seconds. Exhale through your mouth for 9 seconds. It is that simple. This may be repeated as many times as desired.
This is an excellent time to reflect on God’s goodness and whisper a prayer of surrender to Him. Doing this with a calm, relaxing, prayerful attitude helps to drop blood pressure a few points. Regularly doing this will help prevent hypertension and the complications of hypertension. Doing this is a small but effective part of practicing the REFRESHING Way lifestyle.
Special Announcement: You are encouraged to visit the website, SaveLivesNow.org to see the property Times of Refreshing is claiming in faith as our new headquarters to save lives and train lifesavers.