Participants: Pr. Walter Pearson
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000312
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00:02 Announcer: BREATH OF LIFE PRESENTS RELENTLESS PURSUIT WITH
00:08 PASTOR WALTER L. PEARSON, JR. 00:11 JOIN US NOW AS PASTOR PEARSON CONTINUES HIS MESSAGE ON SAMSON 00:15 ENTITLED HANGING BY A THREAD. 00:19 (theme music) WP: FOLK, LET ME TELL YOU 00:24 WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE. 00:26 ONCE YOU SET OUT ON A COURSE THAT IS AGAINST GOD, YOU 00:30 ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND. 00:34 IN FACT, ONE DAY WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT YOU WILL SAY TO 00:37 YOURSELF, "I WAS OUT OF MY MIND. 00:41 I SHOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT !" 00:44 BUT THE COURSE THAT YOU TAKE AWAY FROM GOD TAKES 00:48 YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND. 00:51 AND SO NOW A STRANGE THING HAS STARTED. 00:54 THEY FIND OUT WHAT HE DID TO GET THESE CLOTHES, THEY FIND 00:58 OUT THAT THERE IS SOME STRANGE ENMITY THAT HAS DEVELOPED, AND 01:02 THEY SAY, "WE WILL BURN YOUR WIFE AND HER FATHER'S HOUSE." 01:10 WHEN SAMSON GETS DISTURBED, HE CAN DO THINGS. 01:13 SO THE FIRST THING THAT HE DOES IS THAT HE BACKS AWAY 01:16 FROM THAT WEDDING, AND ANOTHER PERSON IS PUT IN HIS PLACE. 01:20 THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE, ONCE SAMSON LEAVES, GIVES ANOTHER 01:24 MAN TO HIS DAUGHTER. 01:27 SAMSON COMES BACK EVENTUALLY, THE FATHER SAYS, "I THOUGHT 01:29 YOU WERE GONE; I DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD COME BACK, SO WHAT 01:31 I DID, I GAVE YOUR WIFE AWAY TO YOUR BEST MAN. 01:36 WHY DON'T YOU TAKE MY NEXT DAUGHTER, A YOUNGER ONE." 01:38 HE SAYS, "I DON'T LIKE THIS PLAN." 01:41 SO WHEN HE GETS DISTURBED ABOUT THAT, HE GOES AND DOES 01:46 SOMETHING THAT ONLY A POWERFUL MAN CAN DO--HE GOES AND CATCHES 01:52 300 JACKALS--FOXES, THE BIBLE CALLS IT, BUT THE SCHOLARS 01:58 HAVE DISCOVERED THAT FOXES DON'T STAY TOGETHER IN THOSE 02:01 BIG PACKS; JACKALS DO. 02:03 HOW DO YOU CATCH 300 JACKALS ? 02:08 HOW DO YOU HOLD THEM WHEN YOU CATCH THEM ? 02:13 WHAT DO YOU, JUST GRAB TAILS AND JUST HOLD THEM TOGETHER ? 02:16 WELL, IF YOU'RE SAMSON, IT'S NO PROBLEM. 02:19 HE CATCHES THEM AND THEN HE PUTS FIREBRANDS BETWEEN TAILS 02:24 OF TWO AT A TIME AND THEN TURNS THEM LOOSE IN THE FIELDS OF 02:29 CORN THAT THE PHILISTINES DEPEND ON TO EAT, AND BURNS 02:33 DOWN THEIR FOOD SUPPLY. 02:38 FOLKS, THIS IS A PROBLEM. 02:40 YOU'VE GOT NO MORE OLIVES, YOU'VE GOT NO MORE CORN, AND SO 02:44 THE PEOPLE ARE QUITE ANGRY, AND WHEN HE FINISHES, HE GOES TO 02:48 JUDAH, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OR UNDER THE 02:53 CONTROL OF THE PHILISTINES, AND GOES TO THE ROCK ETAM AND GOES 02:57 INTO A CAVE TO STAY THERE. 03:00 AND AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, THE PHILISTINES SAY, "WHERE IS HE ?" 03:06 AND YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T DEPEND ON THE BRETHREN ALL THE TIME. 03:13 SO THEY SAY, "WE KNOW WHERE HE IS. 03:16 ASK THE LEVITES WHERE HE IS, HE WENT TO THEIR COUNTRY." 03:20 OKAY, SO THEY GO AND MAKE A DEAL. 03:22 THEY SAID, "LOOK, WE CAN'T GO GET HIM, YOU KNOW, 03:24 HE'S GOT SPECIAL SKILLS. 03:27 WOULD YOU BRING HIM OUT TO US ?" 03:29 AND HIS BRETHREN, 3,000 OF HIS BRETHREN GO TO HIM. 03:35 ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS SAYS THAT IF THOSE 3,000 PEOPLE 03:40 WHO WENT TO DELIVER SAMSON TO THE PHILISTINES, HAD COME 03:43 WITH THE DETERMINATION TO STAND ON GOD'S SIDE, THEY 03:48 COULD HAVE FREED THE PEOPLE. 03:51 BUT THEY WERE SO AFRAID. 03:53 THEIR BACKBONES WERE SO MALLEABLE THEY 03:58 COULD BARELY STAND. 04:00 SO THEY GOT TOGETHER AND SAID, "SAMSON, YOU'VE GOT 04:02 TO GO OUT THERE. 04:03 WE'VE GOT TO TAKE YOU AND DELIVER YOU." 04:05 "SAY WHAT ?" 04:06 FORGIVE ME, BUT I SEE IT IN MODERN TERMS. 04:09 CAN YOU SEE SAMSON--"SO YOU GUYS CAME TO TURN ME IN ? 04:13 IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO ? 04:15 Y'ALL FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT ? 04:18 CAN YOU SLEEP TONIGHT WHEN YOU TURN ME IN ?" 04:21 THEY SAY, "YEAH, WE CAN SLEEP TONIGHT. 04:23 WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THEM ATTACK US. 04:25 WE'VE GOT FRIENDSHIPS WITH THESE PEOPLE. 04:27 THESE FOLK HAVE GIVEN US PEACE. 04:29 WE ARE NOT ABOUT TO BREAK UP OUR SITUATION FOR YOU. 04:32 COME ON, WE'RE GOING TO TIE YOU UP. 04:33 WHAT SHALL WE TIE YOU WITH ?" 04:34 HE SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU TIE ME WITH SOME GREEN CORD. 04:37 I CAN'T BREAK OUT OF THAT." 04:41 AND THEY TAKE HIM TO THE PHILISTINES. 04:44 AND THEY SAY, "SAMSON, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KILL 04:45 US WHILE WE'RE TAKING YOU ?" 04:46 HE SAID, "NO, I WON'T BOTHER YOU; YOU'RE ALREADY 04:48 MISERABLE ENOUGH. 04:51 COME UP HERE TO DELIVER ME INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT 04:53 GOD CALLED YOU TO DO. 04:54 YOU STAY IN YOUR OWN MISERY AND STEW IN IT--MARINADE IN IT !" 05:00 BUT WHEN THEY GET CLOSE TO THE PHILISTINES THEY ARE OVERJOYED. 05:03 THEY SAY, "HEY, HIS OWN PEOPLE ARE BRINGING HIM HERE." 05:07 AND THEY SHOUT THEY ARE SO HAPPY. 05:11 AND SAMSON COMES ALL THE WAY DOWN UNTIL HE 05:13 GETS CLOSE TO THEM. 05:15 THEN HE DOES WHAT YOU SUSPECT HE'S GOING TO DO. 05:18 HE BREAKS THE CORDS AND GRABS THE NEXT THING HE CAN FIND, 05:21 WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE THE JAWBONE OF A DONKEY. 05:25 I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM DOING HARM TO ANYBODY UNLESS I'M SAMSON. 05:30 THEN I CAN TAKE ANYTHING. 05:31 IN FACT, I CAN ALMOST TAKE NOTHING, BUT HE TAKES THIS BONE 05:35 THAT IS NOT DRIED AND BEGINS TO KILL PEOPLE WITH IT UNTIL 05:38 A THOUSAND OF THEM ARE DEAD. 05:46 AND THIS MAN IS IN TROUBLE. 05:50 NOW HERE IS WHAT YOU MUST KNOW. 05:52 SAMSON'S VOW AS A NAZARITE HAS THREE PROVISIONS: 05:57 CAN'T APPROACH A DEAD BODY; 06:00 CAN'T TAKE ANYTHING INTO HIS BODY THAT COMES FROM 06:02 THE FRUIT OF THE GRAPE, AND CANNOT CUT HIS HAI 06:07 THE SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO THIS PLACE IN THE 06:10 STORY HE HAS ALREADY HAD WINE. 06:15 THEY BELIEVE THAT HE HAS COME CLOSE TO MANY DEAD BODIES, 06:19 SO THE ONLY PROVISION HE'S GOT LEFT IS THAT HE HASN'T 06:24 HAD HIS HAIR CUT. 06:26 HE'S HANGING BY ONE THIRD OF HIS VOW. 06:31 AND HERE IS MY QUESTION TO YOU: WHEN DOES GOD CUT YOU LOOSE ? 06:40 IF I WERE GOD AT TWO THIRDS, I'D HAVE CUT HIM LOOSE. 06:46 I DON'T THINK HE DESERVES MY LOYALTY. 06:49 HE'S NO LONGER THE MAN THAT I SENT. 06:54 BUT IN THAT MOMENT WHEN HE HAD BROUGHT THAT PARTIAL VICTORY, 06:58 HIS PEOPLE MADE HIM A JUDGE AND LISTEN TO THIS, FOR 20 YEARS, 07:05 GOD ALLOWED SAMSON TO JUDGE ISRAEL, THAT PART OF ISRAEL THAT 07:09 WAS WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES. 07:12 AND THEN THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 20 YEARS LATER, AND I WANT TO SAY 07:16 THIS TO YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME OF US WHO HAVE GROWN OLD 07:20 AND WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THE TERRIBLE THINGS YOUNG PEOPLE DO. 07:28 "LORD, HELP THESE YOUNGSTERS." 07:33 WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY LEARNED WHAT THEY DO ? 07:38 "AH, THESE YOUNG FOLK !" 07:41 IF ONLY GOD HAD TO WORRY ONLY ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOE. 07:44 IF ONLY THOSE WERE THE ONLY FOLK WHO VIOLATED HIS COMMAND. 07:49 THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE GROWN OLD WHO HAVE NO 07:52 LONGER THE ENERGY TO ACT ON THEIR EVIL THOUGHTS. 08:01 FORGIVE ME, I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE MEAN-SPIRITED, BUT YOU'VE 08:05 STILL GOT EVIL INTENT. 08:09 MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; GOD LOOKS 08:11 ON THE HEART. 08:13 SO HE KNOWS. 08:14 SO IF YOU HAVE BEEN LIKE SAMSON--A GOOD PERSON 08:19 FOR A LONG TIME, DON'T LET IT GO TO YOUR HEAD. 08:24 SAMSON FOR TWENTY YEARS WAS A JUDGE, AND THEN ONE DAY 08:28 SOMETHING STARTED NAGGING AT HIM. 08:31 WENT DOWN TO GAZA FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON. 08:35 GOES INTO GAZA AND SEES A PROSTITUTE, THIS JUDGE 08:41 OF GOD'S HOUSE. 08:43 AND I KNOW FOLK THINK THAT ALL OF THIS NEW STUFF ABOUT 08:46 HOLY PEOPLE, YOU THINK THAT IT'S SOME PHENOMENON THAT 08:50 HAS JUST CROPPED UP. 08:51 IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO THAT SATAN PICKS ON THOSE WHO GOD 08:56 HAS CHOSEN TO DO HIS WILL. 08:58 HE PUTS HIS MOST EXCRUCIATING PAIN UPON THEM, AND HE USES HIS 09:04 GREATEST POWERS AGAINST THEM. 09:07 HE LIFTS UP THEIR TEMPTATIONS. 09:10 HE OFFERS THEM THINGS THAT REGULAR FOLKS NEVER EVEN 09:13 KNOW, BECAUSE IT BRINGS HIM JOY TO BRING SOMEBODY 09:18 DOWN WHO GOD HAS CHOSEN. 09:21 RIGHT NOW, SOMEBODY LISTENING TO ME, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT 09:25 THE REASON WHY YOU'RE HAVING IT SO HARD IS BECAUSE GOD HAD 09:29 A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, AND THE DEVIL KNOWS IT, SO HE 09:33 WORKS ON YOU MUCH HARDER. 09:37 SAMSON IS IN GAZA, SEES THE PROSTITUTE--WHY IN THE WORLD 09:41 WOULD A MAN OF GOD DO THIS, BUT HE GOES AND HE'S IN HER 09:44 PLACE, AND WHAT HE DOESN'T KNOW AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 09:48 IS THAT WHILE YOU ARE GOING AGAINST GOD, THERE ARE PEOPLE 09:51 WHO ARE WATCHING YOU. 09:53 THEY DON'T ACT LIKE THEY KNOW YOU, BUT THEY'RE WATCHING 09:57 YOU--"HEY, HOW YA DOING ?" 09:59 THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A HINT. 10:01 BUT WHEN GOD HAS PUT HIS HANDS ON YOU THERE IS SOMETHING 10:04 ABOUT YOU THAT YOU CAN'T HIDE. 10:07 YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME, THE MICROPHONE WENT OUT JUST THEN 10:09 AND YOU DIDN'T HEAR WHAT I SAID--WHEN GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR 10:13 YOUR LIFE, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT STANDS OUT. 10:19 AND WHEN IT STANDS OUT, PEOPLE WILL TREAT YOU DIFFERENTLY. 10:22 SOMETIMES IT WILL HELP YOU. 10:24 OTHER TIMES WHEN THE DEVIL COMES AFTER YOU, IT WILL BE THE 10:27 GREATEST BURDEN OF YOUR LIFE, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS WATCHING. 10:31 NOT ONLY ARE PEOPLE WATCHING. 10:33 WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED IS THAT IT IS NOT GOD TRYING 10:37 TO CATCH US DOING WRONG. 10:39 GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL 10:41 SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. 10:43 THE ONE WHO'S WATCHING YOU IS THE DEVIL. 10:47 HE IS THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN. 10:51 HE'S NOT THE ONE ON YOUR SIDE, SO HE TELLS YOU STUFF 10:54 TO DO, AND HE SENDS EVERY CHRISTIAN IN TOWN TO THE PLACE 10:59 WHERE YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. 11:03 DON'T YOU THINK THAT IT WAS SOME ACCIDENT, THAT IN THIS 11:08 PLACE WHERE SAMSON HAD GONE TO BE WITH THIS WOMAN WHOM HE 11:13 NEVER SHOULD HAVE TOUCHED, THAT THE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW. 11:17 IN FACT, THE PHILISTINES GOT TOGETHER AND THEY SAID, "HEY, 11:20 I KNEW HE COULDN'T LAST. 11:23 TWENTY YEARS HE THOUGHT HE'D NEVER BREAK DOWN AGAIN, 11:27 DIDN'T I TELL YOU ? 11:29 HE'D BE BACK. 11:30 RIGHT DOWN THERE IN GAZA. 11:33 SEE THAT HOUSE RIGHT DOWN THERE WITH THAT FUNNY LOOKING ROOF ? 11:37 HE'S IN THERE, AND GUESS WHAT ? 11:40 IN THE MORNING WHEN THE SUN RISES, WE WILL HAVE 11:43 ENOUGH FORCES AROUND THAT HOUSE TO TAKE HIM. 11:48 HE'S A DEAD MAN, SO LET HIM HAVE THE NIGHT." 11:53 I'M GOING TO TELL YOU HOW GOOD GOD IS. 11:56 IN A HOUSE OF ILL REPUTE SAMSON IS ASLEEP, UNCONSCIOUS. 12:05 ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING ROUSES HIM. 12:10 DO YOU THINK IT WAS THE DEVIL ? 12:14 HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN GREAT JOY IN HAVING A SUNRISE CAPTURE. 12:21 WHO WAS IT THEN ? 12:23 AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE TO STRETCH YOUR BRAIN TO FIGURE 12:26 THIS OUT, BECAUSE YOU THINK GOD IS SO VENGEFUL THAT AS 12:28 SOON AS YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG, GOD IS AFTER YOU. 12:31 AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU FOR THIS SERIES IS 12:34 THAT GOD IS NOT AGAINST YOU, IT IS DIVINE POWER THAT CHASES 12:39 YOU TRYING TO BRING YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG. 12:44 GOD IS NOT TRYING TO FORCE YOU OUT; GOD IS 12:47 TRYING TO BRING YOU IN ! 12:50 HE WILL DO THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T IMAGINE TO TRY TO GET YOU BACK 12:54 BEFORE IT'S ETERNALLY TOO LATE. 12:58 SO AT MIDNIGHT SOMETHING SHAKES SAMSON. 13:01 YOU CAN THINK WHAT YOU THINK. 13:02 I KNOW WHAT SHOOK HIM. 13:05 IT MAY HAVE BEEN A DREAM THAT WOKE HIM UP, BUT I KNOW WHO 13:07 SENT THE DREAM BECAUSE GOD IS ALWAYS LOOKING TO TRY TO BRING 13:11 YOU BACK TO LET YOU LIVE WITHIN THE POWER OF HIS LOVE. 13:16 AND SO THE MAN WAKES UP FOR NO REASON AT ALL AND WHEN HE WAKES 13:20 UP, HE SENSES WHAT IS GOING ON. 13:22 YOU CAN'T HAVE ALL THOSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND 13:24 WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF IT. 13:28 I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOES IT. 13:29 MAYBE SOMEBODY STEPPED ON A TWIG. 13:32 MAYBE SOME HORSE IN THE CORNER WENT NEIGH. 13:38 SAMSON SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE. 13:42 SOMETHING'S GOING ON." 13:44 SO HE LEAVES THE HOUSE KNOWING THAT THOUSANDS OF EYES ARE ON 13:48 HIM, AND WHEN HE GETS TO THE GATE OF GAZA, IT'S LOCKED. 13:55 BUT IF YOU'RE SAMSON AND IF GOD LOVES YOU ENOUGH TO SHAKE YOU 14:00 AWAKE AT MIDNIGHT, THEN THAT SAME POWER WILL GIVE YOU THE 14:05 STRENGTH TO GET OUT OF THE TOWN. 14:08 SO WHILE THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, HE DOES NOT OPEN THEM, HE PICKS 14:13 THEM UP--NOT JUST THE DOORS BUT THE HINGES, THOSE THINGS THAT 14:20 HOLD THE DOORS TO THE PINNING OF THE DOOR--OUT OF THE PLACES 14:29 WHERE THEY'D BEEN DIGGED, AND HE PUTS THEM OVER HIS 14:33 SHOULDERS AND WALKS UP THE HILL WITH THE GATES. 14:39 SOMEBODY WAKES UP--"HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY ! 14:43 WHO IS THAT ?" 14:44 "WELL, IT'S NOT A PERSON. 14:51 I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. 14:54 ARE THOSE THE GATES ? 14:58 IS SOMEBODY UNDER THEM ? 15:01 THEY'RE MOVING UP THE HILL !" 15:04 "YEAH, I TOLD YOU--WE SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED TILL MORNING. 15:08 WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT HIM NOW." 15:09 NOW, FOLKS STICK WITH ME BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING 15:12 THAT WILL TEND TO BUILD UP MY FORMER DECLARATION: WHEN YOU 15:19 TURN AGAINST GOD, YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND. 15:21 IF THAT HAPPENS TO YOU--IF YOU PICK UP THE GATES AND GO FREE, 15:25 WHEN YOU GET HOME, DON'T YOU WANT TO SAY, "LORD, I'M SORRY. 15:29 FORGIVE ME I MESSED UP. 15:31 BUT AFTER THAT DELIVERANCE I KNOW YOU GOT ME OUT OF THERE, 15:34 I'M GOING TO STAY WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF MY DAYS." 15:38 BUT IT IS NOT LONG AFTER THAT THAT SAMSON SPIES A WOMAN 15:44 IN THE VEIL OF SOREK. 15:47 HER NAME MEANS DEVOURER. 15:52 MAYBE YOU OUGHT TO CHECK INTO THE MEANING OF 15:55 THE NAMES OF PEOPLE. 16:00 A WOMAN NAMED DEVOURER, BUT HE GOES TO HER AND THEY BEGIN 16:07 TO HAVE GENTEEL CONVERSATION, AND THE PHILISTINES LEARN 16:13 THAT HE HAS AN EYE FOR HER, SO THEY COME TO HER. 16:17 IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT SHE'S A PHILISTINE WOMAN BUT SOMEONE 16:19 FROM ANOTHER CULTURE, AND THEY SAY, "WE WILL PAY YOU TO FIND 16:24 OUT WHAT MAKES HIM STRONG." 16:27 AW, FORGIVE ME BUT I, SEE I DON'T READ THIS STUFF 16:30 LIKE INK STAINS ON PAPER. 16:32 I ASK GOD TO TAKE ME TO THE PLACE. 16:36 I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN THERE WHEN SHE WAS TELLING HIM, "YOU KNOW, 16:40 YOU'RE A GOOD LOOKING MAN. 16:43 I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU, BUT THE HALF WAS NOT TOLD. 16:48 NOT ONLY ARE YOU STRONG--DO YOU MIND IF I TOUCH YOUR BICEPS ? 16:55 NOBODY SAID YOU WERE GOOD LOOKING. 16:58 WHY DON'T WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER ? 17:04 WHAT MAKES YOU SO STRONG ? 17:06 I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT. 17:08 IS THERE ANY WAY I COULD GET YOU TO TELL ME WHAT IT REALLY IS ? 17:11 HE SAID, "OH SURE. 17:12 A WOMAN LIKE YOU ? 17:15 I'LL TELL YOU ANYTHING." 17:18 "WELL, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME RIGHT--? 17:20 WHY DON'T WE START OFF THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMETHING 17:23 THAT BUILDS TRUST BETWEEN US ? 17:26 WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER 17:28 TOLD ANYBODY BEFORE ? 17:30 WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT IT IS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU 17:33 AS WEAK AS A REGULAR MAN ?" 17:37 HE SAID, "IT'S SIMPLE, ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS GET SOME 17:40 GREEN LENGTHS AND TIE ME UP WITH THEM--THEY'VE NEVER 17:44 BEEN USED BEFORE, AND I'LL TURN INTO A NATURAL MAN." 17:49 NOW, FOLKS, WHEN SHE TIES YOU UP WHILE YOU'RE ASLEEP... 17:57 THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE ! 18:01 WHEN SHE TIES YOU UP--WHEN YOU WAKE UP...WHEN SHE SAYS, 18:08 "THE PHILISTINES ARE UPON YOU !" 18:12 AND IT'S NO PROBLEM; YOU BREAK OUT OF THE STUFF AND SAY, 18:14 "WHAT'S GOING ON, GIRL ? 18:18 I KNOW YOU AIN'T CALLED THESE FOLK IN HERE, DID YOU ?" 18:21 WELL, BY NOW THEY'RE GONE. 18:23 SHE SAID, "BUT YOU LIED TO ME. 18:25 HOW CAN WE HAVE TRUST, SAMSON ? 18:29 HOW CAN WE EVER BUILD A RELATIONSHIP IF YOU'RE NOT 18:32 GOING TO TELL ME THE TRUTH ? 18:33 COME ON, RIGHT NOW WHY DON'T YOU--WELL, I'LL TELL YOU 18:36 WHAT, DON'T DO IT NOW. 18:37 LET ME JUST TAKE CARE OF YOU FOR A FEW DAYS." 18:40 I COULD BE MORE EXPLICIT, BUT YOU COULDN'T HANDLE IT. 18:43 I COULD TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT. 18:45 I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DEVIL BLENDS HIS WISDOM WITH 18:49 THE INTENT OF SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT LOVE GOD. 18:52 YOU CAN BE IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS MORE POWER 18:55 THAN YOU BELIEVE, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE SMART, BUT BECAUSE 18:59 THE DEVIL IS USING THEM. 19:00 YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL WITH WHOM YOU ASSOCIATE. 19:04 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING REGULAR, BUT THEY ARE NOT. 19:10 HE SAYS, "HOW ABOUT TWO NEW ROPES." 19:12 SHE TIES HIM UP WITH THAT. 19:14 "THE PHILISTINES ARE UPON YOU !" 19:15 HE CRACKS THEM; BREAKS THEM AND GETS UP, AND THEN 19:18 EVENTUALLY HE GETS TIRED. 19:20 IF YOU CONTINUE TO PLAY GAMES WITH UNGODLY PEOPLE, 19:26 YOUR RESOLVE WILL EVAPORATE. 19:30 "TELL YOU WHAT YOU DO. 19:32 IN FACT, I'VE NEVER TOLD ANYBODY THIS BEFORE. 19:35 IF YOU TAKE THE SEVEN LOCKS OF MY HAIR, YOU SEE THAT WEAVE 19:40 YOU'VE GOT OVER THERE ? 19:43 WEAVE MY HAIR LIKE YOU DO CLOTH, AND THEN PUT THE PIN THERE AND 19:51 KIND OF LOCK ME INTO THAT WHOLE MECHANISM OVER THERE, AND IF 19:56 YOU'LL CALL ANYBODY THEN, I'LL BE AS WEAK AS I CAN BE." 20:01 AND SURE ENOUGH, HE CAN'T BE ASLEEP; IT'S TOO 20:04 UNCOMFORTABLE FOR HIM, BUT AFTER SHE HAS STUCK IN ALL OF 20:08 THE MECHANISM AND HIS HAIR IS COMPLETELY LOCKED, SHE SAYS, 20:12 "THE PHILISTINES BE UPON YOU !" 20:13 AND BY HIS HAIR, THE MAN'S GOT STRONG HAIR--BY HIS HAIR 20:21 HE PULLS UP THE MECHANISM. 20:23 AND SHE SAYS, "BUT SWEETHEART, YOU LIED TO ME. 20:28 HOW ARE WE EVER GOING TO LOVE EACH OTHER ?" 20:30 AND YOU THINK THIS IS RIDICULOUS, BUT I BELIEVE 20:33 SOMEBODY IS LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW WHO IS JUST AS 20:38 FOOLISH, WHO HAS LET SOMEBODY GET WAY INTO THEIR LIVES. 20:47 THEN ONE DAY IT HAPPENS. 20:50 HE'S TOO TIRED. 20:51 SHE WAKES HIM UP. 20:53 "SWEETHEART LET ME JUST MASSAGE YOU. 20:58 OH, THESE MUSCLES ARE AMAZING. 21:05 TELL ME, TELL ME, BABY. 21:13 I'M STARTING TO THINK IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH 21:15 YOUR HAIR, YOU KNOW, THAT LAST THING YOU TOLD ME, I THOUGHT 21:18 WE WERE GETTING WARM. 21:22 WERE WE CLOSE ?" 21:25 HE SAID, "WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS--IF YOU CUT MY HAIR." 21:32 THAT'S THE LAST THING THAT CONNECTED HIM TO HIS VOW. 21:39 HE WAS HANGING BY A THREAD UNTIL THEN, AND NOW THAT'S GONE. 21:48 SHE PUTS HIM TO SLEEP ON HER LAP, AND WHILE HE IS ASLEEP, 21:52 SHE CALLS IN SOMEONE WITH A RAZOR--THEY TAKE THOSE 22:01 LOCKS OF HIS HAIR, AND BEGIN TO SHAVE THEM OFF. 22:06 SHE SAYS, "ALL RIGHT, LET'S CHECK HIM NOW," AND SHE 22:09 SAID, "SAMSON, SAMSON ! 22:13 THE PHILISTINES ARE UPON YOU." 22:14 AND HE SAYS, "I WILL RISE AND SHAKE MYSELF LIKE I DID BEFORE. 22:20 I WILL GET UP AND BE AS STRONG AS I WAS BEFORE." 22:24 BUT WHEN HE GETS UP, HE KNOWS SOMETHING HAS LEFT HIM. 22:33 IT IS MORE THAN HE IMAGINED. 22:34 HE DID NOT KNOW THAT HE HAD HUNG BY THE LAST THREAD AND CUT 22:39 IT, AND NOW HE HAD NOTHING. 22:41 LISTEN, ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS SAID THAT IF SOMEBODY 22:43 HAD MADE HIS HAIR BE CUT WITHOUT HIS WILL, HE WOULD 22:47 HAVE BEEN JUST AS STRONG. 22:50 THE POWER WAS NOT IN THE HAIR; THE POWER WAS IN 22:52 THE COMMITMENT TO GOD. 22:54 WHEN YOU BREAK EVERY THREAD THAT CONNECTS YOU TO GOD, IT 22:57 IS THEN THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN AWAY THE BEST THING THAT YOU HAVE. 23:01 AND DON'T FOOL YOURSELF, SOMETIMES YOU THINK WHEN SOMEONE 23:05 LOVES YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE OR BECAUSE OF YOUR 23:08 TALENTS OR YOUR SKILLS, IT IS NONE OF THE ABOVE. 23:12 IT IS YOUR CONNECTION WITH GOD THAT MAKES YOU ATTRACTIVE, AND 23:15 WHAT THAT PERSON WANTS MOST IS TO PLAY WITH THAT CONNECTION. 23:19 IT'S SOMETHING THEY DON'T HAVE, BUT SOMETHING YOU HAVE AND 23:22 THERE YOU ARE, CUTTING EVERY CONNECTION YOU HAVE WITH GOD. 23:28 AND THEY TOOK THAT MAN AWAY AND GOUGED OUT HIS EYES AND 23:33 PUT HIM AT A GRINDER AND HE GROUND GRAIN. 23:38 AND THEY LAUGHED AT HIM UNTIL THAT DAY--YOU 23:41 REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. 23:44 HE HAD BEEN GRINDING CORN AS HIS HAIR GREW BACK, BUT I 23:46 WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. 23:48 IT WAS NOT THE REGROWTH OF THE HAIR; IT WAS HIS 23:52 RECOMMITMENT TO GOD. 23:58 SEE, DON'T REDUCE RELIGION TO ICONS. 24:03 THIS IS NOT A CARTOON. 24:05 THIS IS NOT SOME STRANGE STORY YOU SAW ON HBO. 24:08 THIS IS THE POWER OF GOD IN ACTION ! 24:12 SO THAT MAN GRINDS CORN, HE FINALLY COMES TO HIS SENSES 24:16 AND SAYS, "GOD, I CAN'T SEE WITH THESE EYES ANYMORE, BUT 24:19 MY HEART HAS NEW EYESIGHT. 24:22 I CAN SEE NOW THAT THE ONLY THING I EVER HAD WAS YOU, 24:28 AND I CUT YOU OFF ! 24:30 AND I WANT TO BEG OF YOU FATHER, IF I NEVER DO ANYTHING 24:33 FOR YOU AGAIN, JUST FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I'VE DONE." 24:37 AND HE RECOMMITTED HIS LIFE TO GOD, AND AS HIS HAIR GREW BACK, 24:41 IT HAD LITTLE, I BELIEVE, TO DO WITH THE RECOMMITMENT, BUT ONE 24:45 DAY THEY TOOK HIM DOWN TO PLAY THE FINAL SPORT IN THAT TEMPLE 24:53 WHERE DAGON WAS, THE FISH GOD, A GOD THAT LOOKED LIKE HALF FISH 24:59 AND HALF MAN, AND ON THAT DAY, SAYS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS, 25:04 IT WAS NO LONGER A CONTEST BETWEEN SAMSON AND THE 25:07 PHILISTINES; IT WAS A CONTEST BETWEEN THE FISH 25:11 GOD AND THE GOD OF HEAVEN. 25:15 LISTEN, THE ONLY REAL THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS 25:21 TO PUT IT ON THE SIDE OF GOD. 25:24 THE ONLY LASTING THING, THE ONLY POSITIVE THING THAT YOU 25:28 CAN DO, THE ONLY MEANINGFUL THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIFE 25:31 IS TO PUT IT ON GOD'S SIDE. 25:35 THIS MAN FINALLY DOES IT AND YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. 25:38 HE GOES OUT AND THEY'RE LAUGHING AND THEY'RE SAYING, "LOOK, 25:41 THE POWERFUL MAN WHO WOUNDED AND KILLED SO MANY OF OUR 25:44 PEOPLE--LOOK AT HIM NOW !" 25:46 AND THEY BROUGHT HIM OUT. 25:47 THERE WERE THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THE ROOF, AND HE 25:53 SAID, "I'M FEELING WOOZY. 25:59 I'M A LITTLE DIZZY. 26:01 COULD YOU TAKE ME TO THAT PLACE I'VE HEARD YOU'VE 26:05 GOT WHERE I COULD JUST LEAN ON THE PILLARS ?" 26:11 HE KNEW THAT THEY WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER SO THAT HE COULD 26:15 GET HIS HANDS ON BOTH OF THEM. 26:18 THEY WERE THE PRIMARY SUPPORT OF THAT TEMPLE. 26:23 HE HAD JUST ENOUGH SPACE TO PUSH THE PILLARS, AND HE DECIDED, 26:30 "NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, I WILL DIE OBEYING MY GOD. 26:36 I WILL DIE TRYING TO GET BACK SOME OF THE LUSTRE THAT I 26:42 TOOK AWAY FROM HIS NAME. 26:44 AND HE PUSHED THE PILLARS AND IT CAME TUMBLING DOWN. 26:48 AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU SAY IT WAS SUICIDE. 26:52 AND SOME OF YOU SAY, "WELL, IF THAT'S THE WAY HE WENT OUT, HOW 26:55 CAN YOU GIVE US HIS STORY AND TRY TO MAKE US COME TO GOD ?" 27:00 AND I DIRECT YOU TO HEBREWS, THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER. 27:05 IT IS THE PLACE WHERE THE GREATEST HEROES FOR GOD 27:09 HAVE THEIR NAMES RECORDED. 27:11 WHEN YOU GET TO VERSE 32, YOU WILL FIND IN THE LIST OF 27:16 NAMES THE NAME OF SAMSON. 27:19 Announcer: JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR MORE BREATH OF LIFE. 27:24 Announcer: THE BREATH OF LIFE TELEVISION MINISTRY 27:26 PROUDLY PRESENTS A SPECIAL GIFT OFFER THIS WEEK. 27:28 THE DESIRE OF AGES--THE LIFE STORY OF THE GREATEST 27:31 SPIRITUAL LEADER THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, JESUS CHRIST. 27:34 DESIRE OF AGES GOES IN DEPTH INTO EVENTS SURROUNDING THE 27:37 LIFE OF JESUS, GIVING YOU MORE MEANING AND A CLEARER PICTURE 27:40 OF HIS IMPACT ON THE WORLD, AND THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO FOLLOW 27:43 HIM, EVE IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, 27:45 DESIRE OF AGES GIVES DIRECTION FOR ALL WHO SEEK IT. 27:48 THE BOOK ANSWERS HARD QUESTIONS CONFRONTING US ALL. 27:51 IT EXAMINES BASIC SPIRITUAL TRUTHS, GIVES HOPE AND 27:53 ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TOMORROW, AND BRINGS YOU FACE TO 27:56 FACE WITH THE SAVIOR. 27:57 JUST CALL OUR TOLL-FREE NUMBER 877-BOL-OFFER. 28:01 THAT'S 877-265-6333, AND ASKFOR YOUR COPY 28:05 OF DESIRE OF AGES. 28:06 THE BOOK IS YOURS FOR A GIFT OF $5.00 OR MORE, 28:09 OR YOU MAY WRITE TO: BREATH OF LIFE, 28:11 P.O. BOX 97192, WASHINGTON DC, 20077. 28:18 THE DESIRE OF AGES--IT'S THE GREATEST STORY EVER 28:20 TOLD IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. 28:24 (theme music) |
Revised 2015-02-05