A Daily Dose of Inspiration...30-minute Uplift

[00:00:13] Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome back to 12th Street Talk Back, where transparency is our love language. I am your host, Victoria J. Welcome, welcome, welcome to A Daily Dose 30-minute Uplift. I hope everybody's doing the best on this beautiful, beautiful day that God has decided to bless us in.

[00:00:37] Why don't you go ahead and join me for a little bit of afternoon. Pick me up. Let's go ahead and give God some praise. It's 12 noon, and since I was late getting on, I'm going to do my prayer with you guys as usual today.

[00:00:55] So, Heavenly Father, we just thank you. We bless your name right now. I thank you for waking me up this morning and breathing your breath into my body.

[00:01:07] I thank you, Lord, for your grace and your mercy because I know that it's new every day and it's never left.

[00:01:17] Lord, I thank you for being my strength, for my comfort, for being a way out of no way, Lord.

[00:01:26] I thank you, Lord, for raising me up and putting my feet on the straight path with you, Lord.

[00:01:33] Heavenly Father, I thank you for etching your daily bread across the tables of my heart.

[00:01:40] I thank you, Lord, for being my rock, for being my fortress, for being my shield, for being able to dwell with you in your secret dwelling place and abide under your almighty shadow.

[00:01:55] I thank you, Lord, for giving your angels charge over me.

[00:01:59] Unless I dash my foot, they will uplift me.

[00:02:05] I thank you, Lord, that I can come to you with all of my needs, all of my wants, all of my cares.

[00:02:16] I can come to you and wrap your arms around me, Lord, and you'll be my comfort.

[00:02:23] I thank you for the peace and the joy that I get from you.

[00:02:29] I just bless your name on this day, Lord.

[00:02:33] Lord, I thank you for all the people that you've surrounded me with, my friends, my family.

[00:02:38] Lord, bless them from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet.

[00:02:43] Bless our children, Lord.

[00:02:45] Raise them up in the way that they should go.

[00:02:49] Lord, give us leadership and guidance to raise our children up.

[00:02:54] As you said, train them up in the way they should go.

[00:02:58] Heavenly Father, I thank you for clothing us with your righteousness.

[00:03:02] I thank you for giving us courage that we shall not fear anything because you are with us.

[00:03:09] Lord, we thank you for the sick and the shut-in.

[00:03:11] Lord, bless them from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet.

[00:03:16] Heavenly Father, may we meditate on your word night and day, Father God.

[00:03:22] Heavenly Father, we ask that you give travel grace and mercy for those that are traveling.

[00:03:29] Lord, someone right now needs you emotionally, physically, and financially.

[00:03:36] May you bless them today.

[00:03:39] Pass by their way today, O Heavenly Father.

[00:03:43] Lead them out of the dark into the light.

[00:03:46] Those that have ears to hear you, O Lord, let them hear you.

[00:03:50] Let them open up their hearts.

[00:03:53] Give them their spiritual eyesight.

[00:03:55] In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.

[00:04:00] Amen and amen.

[00:04:02] Amen.

[00:04:02] So, guys, let's get it.

[00:04:06] How is everybody doing today?

[00:04:07] I hope everybody's feeling blessed.

[00:04:10] I'm feeling mighty, mighty blessed on this beautiful, beautiful day that God has decided to bless us in.

[00:04:21] And I'll tell you what, I have been playing with my camera for a bit.

[00:04:32] Because for some reason, my phone wants to take over the camera on my computer.

[00:04:42] I don't know what I done touched, how I done touched it.

[00:04:46] I'm not going to worry about that today.

[00:04:48] I just hope it don't do it within our live.

[00:04:52] So, let's get to it.

[00:04:54] I got a few announcements to make before we get into the word today.

[00:05:02] First and foremost, I had someone ask me about the channel and why it comes up twice.

[00:05:11] And I'm going to do a little bit more investigation into that.

[00:05:15] But what that is, is I do upload our live stream onto my Spotify hosting platform.

[00:05:25] And it comes up over here on YouTube under YouTube podcast.

[00:05:31] I don't know that we necessarily need that.

[00:05:33] And I keep saying, and I've said it in the past, that I was going to try to fix that.

[00:05:37] So, I'm going to do a little bit of investigation on that on today.

[00:05:41] As well as, we're supposed to have Freedom Fridays today.

[00:05:46] I'm not sure if that's something that we're still going to be doing.

[00:05:49] But you guys try to check us out after this episode.

[00:05:54] And there's something else that I was supposed to say this morning.

[00:05:58] And it escapes my mind.

[00:05:59] So, if we get back to it as we go on throughout the radio of God's word, then we get back to it.

[00:06:09] So, yes.

[00:06:11] Third, I have to give a shout out to my sponsors, BetterHelp.

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[00:06:24] If you know someone that needs services, that they need to talk to, a counselor, a mentor, a friend.

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[00:06:36] They can get 10% off their first month if they use the code 12thStreetTalkBack.

[00:06:43] So, it'll be in the description below.

[00:06:47] So, go on over to BetterHelp.

[00:06:49] And we're going to give a shout out to them right now.

[00:06:51] Now, we'll be right back after this quick message from BetterHelp.

[00:06:58] What's up, guys?

[00:06:59] It's your girl, Victoria Jay, from 12th Street Talk Back, where transparency is our love language.

[00:07:07] You guys know that transparency is very important to me because I believe it's the key to bridging the communication gap.

[00:07:15] Bridging the communication gap in our community amongst our generations has been very near and dear to my heart for a very long time.

[00:07:25] And I've been working feverishly to spark the hard conversations in our community.

[00:07:30] As the world changes, people change.

[00:07:33] Life experiences can change us.

[00:07:37] Sometimes it can be hard to express yourself to the ones that you love.

[00:07:42] We all suffered something during the pandemic, some more so than others.

[00:07:47] Life can be like an emotional roller coaster.

[00:07:50] And that's why I'm grateful to BetterHelp.

[00:07:54] Thank you, BetterHelp, for sponsoring this podcast.

[00:07:58] Guys, as you know, with BetterHelp, you can tap into a network of over 30,000 licensed and experienced therapists

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[00:08:09] To get started, all you need to do is to answer a few questions about your needs and preferences during therapy.

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[00:09:00] Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com slash 12th Street.

[00:09:06] That's BetterHelp.com slash 12th Street.

[00:09:11] I've also linked it in the description below.

[00:09:14] Let's start bridging the communication gap together.

[00:09:24] What's up, guys?

[00:09:27] All right, guys.

[00:09:29] So we are back.

[00:09:33] And I want to pick up where we stopped on yesterday.

[00:09:38] Yesterday, we were in Judges chapter 13.

[00:09:42] And we found out on yesterday that an angel of the Lord had came to Manoah and his wife.

[00:09:51] And his wife was barren.

[00:09:53] She could not bear a child.

[00:09:56] And he had promised them that God was going to give them a child.

[00:10:00] So to back it up a little bit, I made a few notes as we come to the end of our week.

[00:10:06] So this week, we were in Judges chapter 12.

[00:10:09] And we started off with an unreasonable dispute from the men of Ephraim against Jeth'Vath.

[00:10:16] Because he didn't call them to assist against the Ammonites.

[00:10:21] Ammonites.

[00:10:23] Ammonites.

[00:10:24] I can't talk.

[00:10:25] Y'all, I can't talk.

[00:10:30] And we've seen this before.

[00:10:32] We've seen this before with them and Gideon.

[00:10:36] You know, they did the same thing to Gideon.

[00:10:38] Why come he didn't call them when it came time to fight in the beginning?

[00:10:46] And it was nothing but pride.

[00:10:49] Nothing but wanting to be a part of the triumph.

[00:10:53] Be a part of the victory.

[00:10:55] And they started a squirrel this time.

[00:10:57] They started a squirrel that Jeth'Vath, he easily diffused.

[00:11:03] And he let them know.

[00:11:05] It wasn't my fight to call you in the beginning.

[00:11:09] I was enlisted by Gilead.

[00:11:13] So I can't call you to something that I'm not, I guess I would say, the leader of.

[00:11:22] There's a chain of command.

[00:11:24] Just like in our lives, there's a chain of command.

[00:11:27] There's God.

[00:11:28] And if you have the hubby, it's the hubby.

[00:11:30] And then it's the wife.

[00:11:31] And then it's the children.

[00:11:33] And if you're single, it's God first.

[00:11:37] And then you.

[00:11:38] Then the family.

[00:11:41] So he kind of diffused that.

[00:11:43] And we got into, again, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of God.

[00:11:50] This time, he put them in the hands of the Philistines.

[00:11:54] And he put them in their hands for 40 years.

[00:11:57] And the lesson we learn out of this all the time, being disobedient to what God has called us to do.

[00:12:06] If God calls you, he called you for a reason.

[00:12:11] With them, he's going to send in Samson.

[00:12:15] And as we saw on yesterday, at the end of Judges chapter 13, she did bear a child.

[00:12:24] And it says, Judges chapter 13, verse 24.

[00:12:28] And the woman bared a son and called his name Samson.

[00:12:31] And the child grew and the Lord blessed him.

[00:12:34] And the spirit of the Lord began to move in him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Estol.

[00:12:44] So as we get in to the book of Judges chapter 14 on today, we're going to see what good old Samson gets himself into.

[00:12:57] For those of you that already has read this story, even if you haven't read it, I know if you've ever attended church, you've seen it somewhere.

[00:13:08] So, and Samson went down to Timoneth and saw a woman in Timoneth of the daughters of the Philistines.

[00:13:16] And he camped.

[00:13:17] He came up and told his father and his mother and said, I have seen a woman in Timoneth of the daughters of the Philistines.

[00:13:27] Now, therefore, get her for me to wife.

[00:13:31] Then his father and his mother said unto him, is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all the people that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?

[00:13:47] So she's basically asking him, out of all the women, why would you go take a woman out of another camp and the Philistines at that?

[00:13:58] And Samson said unto his father, get her for me, for she pleaseth me well.

[00:14:06] And his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord that he sought an occasion against the Philistines.

[00:14:14] For at this time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

[00:14:20] Then went Samson down and his father and his mother to Timoneth and came to the vineyards of Timoneth.

[00:14:28] And behold, a young lion roared against them.

[00:14:31] And the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he rent him as he would have rent a kid.

[00:14:37] And he had nothing in his hands, but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

[00:14:44] And he went down and talked with the woman and she pleased Samson well.

[00:14:49] And after a time, he returned to take her and she turned aside to see the carcass.

[00:15:02] And behold, there was a swarm of bees and honeys in the carcass of the lion.

[00:15:10] And he took therefore in his hands and went on eating and came to his father and his mother and he gave them.

[00:15:19] And they did eat.

[00:15:21] But he told them that he he told them not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

[00:15:30] So his father went down unto the woman and Samson made there a feast for so used the young men to do.

[00:15:40] And it came to pass that when they saw him, that they brought 30 companions to be with him.

[00:15:46] And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you.

[00:15:53] If you can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast and find it out that I will give you 30 sheets and 30 change of garments.

[00:16:05] But if you cannot declare it me, then shall you give me 30 sheets and 30 change of garments?

[00:16:12] And they said unto him, put forth that riddle that we may hear it.

[00:16:15] And he said unto them, out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness.

[00:16:23] And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

[00:16:27] And it came to pass on the seventh day that they said unto Samson's wife, entice their husband that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and their house with fire.

[00:16:40] And have ye called us to take that we have?

[00:16:56] Is it not so?

[00:16:58] And Samson's wife wept before him and said, thou dost but hate me and love with me not that has put forth a riddle unto the children of my people and has not told it to me.

[00:17:11] And he said unto her, behold, I have not told it to my father nor my mother.

[00:17:17] And shall I tell it to thee?

[00:17:20] And she wept before him the seven days where their feasts lasted.

[00:17:26] And it came to pass on the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him.

[00:17:33] And she told the riddle to the children of her people.

[00:17:36] 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?

[00:17:47] And he said unto them, if ye had not plowed with my heifer, yea, had not found out my riddle.

[00:17:55] And the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he went down to Aslan and slew 30 men of them and took their spoil and gave change of garments unto them, which expound the riddle.

[00:18:10] And his anger was kindled and he went up to his father's house.

[00:18:14] But Samson's wife was given to his companion who he had used as his friend.

[00:18:22] So, that was chapter 14 of Judges.

[00:18:29] I read out of my King James on this morning.

[00:18:34] And as we see, as God had promised, he promised the people, well, not promise the people.

[00:18:45] He promised the mother of Manoah that he would, she would bear a son.

[00:18:53] It would be a Nazarite.

[00:18:56] And God was going to use this person for his glory.

[00:19:02] And this is exactly what he saw opportunity to do.

[00:19:06] However, at this time, the Philistines, they had such a strong hold on Israel.

[00:19:15] This was God's way of getting, getting, getting what he wanted by using Samson.

[00:19:33] Samson was going to be the one to deliver Israel.

[00:19:37] After all, he was handpicked by God.

[00:19:41] And you know, when you're handpicked by God for something, you do exactly what God tells you to do.

[00:19:48] You can kick against the brick, as my husband would say.

[00:19:51] But you'll be wasting your time.

[00:19:53] Eventually, God is going to get from you what he has for you to do.

[00:19:59] And that's in all of us.

[00:20:00] But I wanted to talk about the tearing out of the throat of the lion.

[00:20:10] Samson did this by the strength of our Heavenly Father.

[00:20:17] By the strength of God.

[00:20:19] None of us have the strength to do things in our own will, as we think.

[00:20:24] And some of us can think that.

[00:20:28] But this was the man that God set apart.

[00:20:33] He was set apart since his birth.

[00:20:37] So God could use him.

[00:20:40] So when he went down and he saw that woman, it wasn't a coincidence.

[00:20:46] Although his parents questioned him about the arranged marriage.

[00:20:52] Wanting to be arranged in that marriage, should I say.

[00:20:57] But they knew not, like none of us.

[00:20:59] God tells us all the time in his words.

[00:21:02] Jeremiah 29, 11.

[00:21:04] We don't know the thoughts that he had for us.

[00:21:09] We don't.

[00:21:11] We could guess.

[00:21:14] But we'll never get it right.

[00:21:18] So, this was the opportunity that the Lord had chose.

[00:21:24] The opportunity to get at the Philistines.

[00:21:29] He kind of threw a curveball in there at them.

[00:21:33] And he used Samson.

[00:21:36] He eyed a woman.

[00:21:38] And eyeing this woman.

[00:21:42] He went to his father.

[00:21:43] And he asked for the marrying of this woman.

[00:21:47] And although his parents were right, technically.

[00:21:52] Because God said that they shouldn't marry outside of themselves.

[00:21:57] The Israelites.

[00:21:59] But God was using this opportunity again for his glory.

[00:22:05] Because, again, the Philistines, they had such a strong hold on the people of Israel.

[00:22:15] God had handed them over to them for 40 years.

[00:22:20] And, you know, everything that God does, he's going to get the glory out of it.

[00:22:25] So, on his way to Timonet.

[00:22:30] Where his bride, Debrie, lives.

[00:22:32] Samson was attacked by a lion.

[00:22:35] And the spirit of the Lord came upon him.

[00:22:39] And he tore the lion apart with his bare hands.

[00:22:45] I got to thinking about that this morning.

[00:22:52] And I was trying to think about it in a way that we can apply it to our lives.

[00:22:56] Because that's what we are about over here.

[00:22:59] Trying to take God's word and see how we can apply it to our lives.

[00:23:07] And it got me to thinking about anytime God gives us something to do,

[00:23:12] we have to do it to the best of our ability.

[00:23:15] Not the best of someone else's ability.

[00:23:18] Not Susan Q.

[00:23:20] Not Jane.

[00:23:21] Not Paul.

[00:23:22] Not Michael.

[00:23:23] But the best of our ability.

[00:23:25] And we have to let God come along and do what he did here.

[00:23:29] The spirit of the Lord came upon Samson.

[00:23:33] This wasn't something that Samson did at his own will.

[00:23:38] And it reminded me of how when God first came into my life,

[00:23:44] when I first gave him my life,

[00:23:48] and the things that he put deep down inside of me that he wanted me to do.

[00:23:54] I was a little frightened.

[00:23:55] And sometimes I do get a little skittish still.

[00:24:00] But once I get out there,

[00:24:03] God's spirit of boldness rests upon me.

[00:24:07] Because I realize who I'm doing it for.

[00:24:11] It's not in my will.

[00:24:13] But it is in his will.

[00:24:16] So the tearing of this lion apart,

[00:24:18] this was a clear sign

[00:24:21] that God had elected Samson

[00:24:23] and powered him as well

[00:24:26] to do this mission.

[00:24:29] As well as the feast.

[00:24:31] As we come upon the feast,

[00:24:33] when they brought the 30 companions,

[00:24:36] as it was custom.

[00:24:38] Seven day feast.

[00:24:41] It was Samson that did the little poking.

[00:24:44] And we can do that too.

[00:24:46] Sometimes we can poke people

[00:24:49] and don't know exactly who we poke it.

[00:24:52] In this case here,

[00:24:54] they poked him

[00:24:57] because of a riddle he told.

[00:25:02] Because of a riddle

[00:25:04] that he never even told

[00:25:06] his parents.

[00:25:08] He didn't tell his mother.

[00:25:10] He didn't tell his father

[00:25:13] about the carcass,

[00:25:14] the honey.

[00:25:15] He didn't tell them.

[00:25:16] But what did they do?

[00:25:18] As we sometimes can as people

[00:25:21] become big old bullies.

[00:25:24] And we bully people.

[00:25:25] We try to nudge them

[00:25:27] into what we want them to do.

[00:25:29] The way we think things should go.

[00:25:32] Not knowing

[00:25:34] the download

[00:25:35] that God gave

[00:25:37] to that person.

[00:25:39] So as I look at this

[00:25:41] and I start to apply it to my life

[00:25:43] and I thought about it

[00:25:44] this morning

[00:25:47] as I prepared

[00:25:48] to come on here.

[00:25:50] I said,

[00:25:51] isn't this what we do

[00:25:52] as people?

[00:25:54] We try to nudge them

[00:25:56] in the direction

[00:25:57] we want things to go.

[00:25:59] And these Philistines,

[00:26:00] this is nothing different

[00:26:01] that they did

[00:26:02] to the wife,

[00:26:03] to the bride-to-be.

[00:26:07] They threatened

[00:26:08] to burn down

[00:26:09] her father's house

[00:26:10] if she couldn't

[00:26:12] give them

[00:26:13] the answer

[00:26:15] to Samson's

[00:26:16] riddle.

[00:26:18] Instead of going by it

[00:26:20] another way,

[00:26:21] which,

[00:26:22] what do we

[00:26:23] suspect?

[00:26:24] The Philistines.

[00:26:26] Anybody that comes up

[00:26:28] against God,

[00:26:29] they have no

[00:26:30] good intentions

[00:26:31] in them.

[00:26:33] They'll play nice

[00:26:34] as these brothers did.

[00:26:36] I mean,

[00:26:37] seven days,

[00:26:38] 30 companions,

[00:26:40] being in the company.

[00:26:41] And Samson,

[00:26:42] he reminds me

[00:26:43] of a

[00:26:44] take charge

[00:26:45] kind of type of guy.

[00:26:47] Fun.

[00:26:48] But he knows

[00:26:50] his strength.

[00:26:52] That's what he

[00:26:53] reminds me

[00:26:53] of.

[00:26:57] So this riddle,

[00:27:00] they threaten

[00:27:03] Samson's bride.

[00:27:05] If she doesn't

[00:27:07] give them

[00:27:07] the answer,

[00:27:11] why is that so?

[00:27:14] And she

[00:27:15] nagged him.

[00:27:16] Nag,

[00:27:17] nag,

[00:27:18] nag,

[00:27:18] as we can

[00:27:19] do as wives.

[00:27:20] And I just,

[00:27:21] I detest

[00:27:23] that particular

[00:27:24] word,

[00:27:25] nag.

[00:27:27] I do.

[00:27:28] I detest

[00:27:29] that particular

[00:27:29] word,

[00:27:30] nag.

[00:27:30] But we can

[00:27:31] sometimes be

[00:27:32] nags,

[00:27:32] women.

[00:27:33] And she

[00:27:34] wept,

[00:27:35] and she threw

[00:27:36] her temper tantrums,

[00:27:37] and all that

[00:27:39] other stuff

[00:27:40] to get what

[00:27:41] she wanted.

[00:27:44] And I can

[00:27:44] imagine,

[00:27:47] even though

[00:27:47] there is no

[00:27:48] excuse for this,

[00:27:49] I can

[00:27:50] imagine

[00:27:53] that she

[00:27:54] did it

[00:27:55] in fear

[00:27:56] of not

[00:27:57] wanting her

[00:27:59] father's

[00:28:00] house to be

[00:28:00] burned down.

[00:28:01] Maybe not to

[00:28:02] lose one of her

[00:28:02] loved ones.

[00:28:03] And now,

[00:28:04] this is not

[00:28:04] what the Bible

[00:28:05] says.

[00:28:05] This is just

[00:28:06] me and my

[00:28:07] own thinking,

[00:28:09] walking through

[00:28:10] life,

[00:28:11] reading God's

[00:28:12] word,

[00:28:13] and thinking

[00:28:14] to myself

[00:28:15] what I would

[00:28:16] have done.

[00:28:16] But she

[00:28:17] wept

[00:28:19] in seven

[00:28:20] days,

[00:28:21] Samson,

[00:28:21] he broke

[00:28:22] down,

[00:28:22] he told

[00:28:23] her.

[00:28:28] She went

[00:28:29] back and

[00:28:29] told her

[00:28:30] kinfolk,

[00:28:32] the children.

[00:28:33] So they

[00:28:34] had the

[00:28:35] answer,

[00:28:36] which

[00:28:37] pretty much

[00:28:38] kindled

[00:28:39] the fire

[00:28:40] of anger

[00:28:41] up under

[00:28:43] Samson.

[00:28:45] Not only

[00:28:46] because they

[00:28:47] knew the

[00:28:47] answers to

[00:28:48] the riddle,

[00:28:49] the answer

[00:28:50] to the

[00:28:51] riddle,

[00:28:52] but because

[00:28:55] she betrayed

[00:28:56] him.

[00:28:59] And betrayal

[00:29:00] is betrayal.

[00:29:02] Whether it's

[00:29:03] a friend,

[00:29:04] a family

[00:29:04] member,

[00:29:07] it's betrayal.

[00:29:10] So what did

[00:29:11] he do?

[00:29:11] The Spirit

[00:29:12] of the Lord

[00:29:12] came upon

[00:29:13] him.

[00:29:14] He killed

[00:29:15] 30 Philistine

[00:29:16] men in

[00:29:18] another town,

[00:29:20] and then he

[00:29:21] came back

[00:29:23] and he

[00:29:24] paid off

[00:29:24] the wager

[00:29:26] that he had

[00:29:27] struck with

[00:29:30] the 30

[00:29:30] companions

[00:29:32] that was

[00:29:33] at his

[00:29:33] feast.

[00:29:35] And then

[00:29:35] he went

[00:29:36] on home

[00:29:37] without

[00:29:38] his wife.

[00:29:40] You know,

[00:29:42] as we

[00:29:43] came in,

[00:29:50] we can

[00:29:50] be a

[00:29:51] little bit

[00:29:54] as people

[00:29:59] distrusting,

[00:30:01] dishonest,

[00:30:03] especially if

[00:30:04] you're not

[00:30:05] walking with

[00:30:05] God.

[00:30:05] And then,

[00:30:06] if you

[00:30:07] are walking

[00:30:07] with God,

[00:30:09] you know,

[00:30:09] it has been

[00:30:10] my experience

[00:30:11] and my

[00:30:12] walk that

[00:30:14] everybody

[00:30:15] doesn't have

[00:30:16] good intentions

[00:30:16] for you.

[00:30:19] I'm reminded

[00:30:20] of a statement

[00:30:21] that my aunt

[00:30:21] said.

[00:30:22] God,

[00:30:24] because in

[00:30:24] this walk,

[00:30:26] I've had

[00:30:27] a time or

[00:30:28] two where

[00:30:29] I feel like

[00:30:30] my hand

[00:30:30] has gotten

[00:30:31] bitten,

[00:30:32] trying to

[00:30:33] stretch out

[00:30:34] my hand

[00:30:36] to assist

[00:30:37] people,

[00:30:37] because my

[00:30:38] Bible tells

[00:30:38] me to

[00:30:40] love everyone.

[00:30:42] My Bible

[00:30:42] tells me

[00:30:43] to spread

[00:30:45] the good

[00:30:45] news,

[00:30:45] which is

[00:30:46] his word.

[00:30:47] My Bible

[00:30:48] also tells

[00:30:49] me to

[00:30:51] forgive my

[00:30:52] brethren.

[00:30:54] 70 times

[00:30:55] 70.

[00:30:56] My brethren

[00:30:58] may need

[00:30:59] assistance.

[00:30:59] I'm not

[00:31:00] to hold

[00:31:01] a grudge.

[00:31:04] My Bible

[00:31:05] also tells

[00:31:05] me to

[00:31:07] love people

[00:31:07] as my

[00:31:08] father loves

[00:31:09] me.

[00:31:12] But I'm

[00:31:12] reminded of

[00:31:14] something that

[00:31:14] my auntie

[00:31:16] says all

[00:31:17] the time.

[00:31:18] When I

[00:31:19] come to

[00:31:19] her about

[00:31:21] complaining

[00:31:22] about something

[00:31:23] that somebody's

[00:31:24] done to me,

[00:31:27] whether it be

[00:31:27] in church or

[00:31:28] out of church,

[00:31:29] and she'll

[00:31:30] say,

[00:31:31] most of the

[00:31:32] time,

[00:31:33] Victoria,

[00:31:35] most people

[00:31:36] only want

[00:31:37] what's in

[00:31:37] your hand.

[00:31:41] They're not

[00:31:42] really

[00:31:43] wanting to

[00:31:44] get to know

[00:31:44] you or

[00:31:45] the best

[00:31:45] part of

[00:31:46] you,

[00:31:47] especially

[00:31:48] if you

[00:31:49] have something

[00:31:50] that they

[00:31:51] want.

[00:31:52] Most people

[00:31:53] only want

[00:31:54] what's in

[00:31:55] your hand.

[00:31:56] And although

[00:31:56] our Bible

[00:31:57] tells us

[00:31:59] that we

[00:32:00] are to do

[00:32:01] good by

[00:32:02] people,

[00:32:02] that we

[00:32:03] are to

[00:32:03] love people,

[00:32:04] sometimes

[00:32:05] that's not

[00:32:07] reciprocated.

[00:32:09] And we

[00:32:10] can't charge

[00:32:11] it to

[00:32:12] their heart.

[00:32:12] We have

[00:32:13] to charge

[00:32:13] it to

[00:32:13] their head.

[00:32:15] Just like

[00:32:16] being out

[00:32:17] here in

[00:32:17] social media.

[00:32:19] You know,

[00:32:19] you get

[00:32:20] those friend

[00:32:21] requests and

[00:32:22] people want

[00:32:23] you to

[00:32:23] follow them.

[00:32:23] They want

[00:32:24] you to

[00:32:24] subscribe

[00:32:25] to whatever

[00:32:27] they're doing

[00:32:27] their channel

[00:32:28] or they

[00:32:28] want you

[00:32:29] to buy

[00:32:29] something

[00:32:29] from them.

[00:32:31] And we're

[00:32:32] walking around

[00:32:33] in a world

[00:32:34] now where

[00:32:34] everybody

[00:32:35] is suspicious.

[00:32:38] Even the

[00:32:39] ones

[00:32:40] preaching the

[00:32:40] gospel,

[00:32:41] which always

[00:32:42] makes me

[00:32:44] scratch my

[00:32:45] head.

[00:32:48] God said

[00:32:49] feed his

[00:32:49] sheep.

[00:32:51] We're

[00:32:52] supposed to

[00:32:53] support

[00:32:54] one another.

[00:32:58] support

[00:32:59] one another

[00:32:59] in church,

[00:33:00] out of

[00:33:01] church.

[00:33:05] And I'm

[00:33:05] finding on

[00:33:07] this walk,

[00:33:09] just like

[00:33:10] with Samson

[00:33:11] when he

[00:33:12] returned home,

[00:33:15] sometimes

[00:33:18] it's not

[00:33:19] good to

[00:33:21] try to

[00:33:21] be that,

[00:33:27] I guess,

[00:33:29] light for

[00:33:31] everybody.

[00:33:32] I guess

[00:33:32] that's where

[00:33:33] that discernment

[00:33:36] comes in.

[00:33:37] you'll

[00:33:38] know who's

[00:33:38] for you

[00:33:40] and who's

[00:33:41] not for

[00:33:41] you.

[00:33:44] But again,

[00:33:45] as I think

[00:33:46] about all

[00:33:47] the things

[00:33:47] that go

[00:33:47] through my

[00:33:48] mind,

[00:33:49] I'm reminded

[00:33:50] that God

[00:33:50] said,

[00:33:51] let him

[00:33:51] do the

[00:33:52] separating.

[00:33:55] But I

[00:33:56] think that

[00:33:56] we have

[00:33:57] to get

[00:33:57] away from

[00:34:00] especially

[00:34:02] in our

[00:34:03] Christian

[00:34:03] community.

[00:34:04] we have

[00:34:05] to get

[00:34:05] away from

[00:34:07] only doing

[00:34:08] things for

[00:34:10] people to

[00:34:12] get something

[00:34:13] out of it.

[00:34:17] If you're

[00:34:17] out here

[00:34:18] spreading the

[00:34:19] good news,

[00:34:21] we should be

[00:34:22] supporting one

[00:34:23] another if

[00:34:24] we're in each

[00:34:24] other's camp,

[00:34:28] whether it be

[00:34:29] church,

[00:34:31] whether it be

[00:34:32] out on the

[00:34:33] street preaching,

[00:34:34] whether it be on

[00:34:34] one of these

[00:34:35] platforms.

[00:34:39] Because after

[00:34:40] all,

[00:34:42] we're doing

[00:34:42] the very

[00:34:43] thing that

[00:34:44] God asked

[00:34:45] us to do.

[00:34:47] And that is

[00:34:48] to spread the

[00:34:49] good news.

[00:34:52] As I'm on

[00:34:53] social media,

[00:34:55] I see a lot

[00:34:56] of bantering

[00:34:56] back and

[00:34:57] forth a lot

[00:34:58] about God's

[00:35:00] word.

[00:35:00] Who's right?

[00:35:01] Who's wrong?

[00:35:03] I don't

[00:35:04] think that

[00:35:05] is our

[00:35:06] decision.

[00:35:08] If you're

[00:35:09] walking with

[00:35:10] our Heavenly

[00:35:10] Father,

[00:35:12] and you're

[00:35:13] studying His

[00:35:13] word,

[00:35:15] and you're

[00:35:16] in His

[00:35:17] word,

[00:35:18] like you're

[00:35:19] supposed to

[00:35:19] be,

[00:35:21] then you let

[00:35:22] Him come

[00:35:22] along and

[00:35:23] give you the

[00:35:23] increase.

[00:35:24] Don't bicker

[00:35:25] with anyone.

[00:35:33] That's what I

[00:35:35] have learned

[00:35:37] in this last

[00:35:39] year that God

[00:35:40] has put me

[00:35:41] on this

[00:35:42] assignment.

[00:35:43] I can't do it

[00:35:44] anybody else's

[00:35:45] way.

[00:35:45] I have to do it

[00:35:46] the way that God

[00:35:47] gave it to me.

[00:35:50] For me,

[00:35:52] when I

[00:35:53] accepted our

[00:35:54] Heavenly Father,

[00:35:55] Jesus Christ,

[00:35:56] into my life as

[00:35:57] my Lord and

[00:35:58] Savior,

[00:35:58] I'm doing

[00:35:59] exactly what

[00:36:00] He called me

[00:36:01] to do,

[00:36:02] and that is

[00:36:03] to love

[00:36:03] everybody.

[00:36:05] Sometimes I

[00:36:06] do love

[00:36:07] past a

[00:36:07] fault,

[00:36:10] but it is

[00:36:11] not my job

[00:36:12] to cast

[00:36:13] judgment on

[00:36:13] people.

[00:36:14] now,

[00:36:15] if someone

[00:36:16] bites your

[00:36:16] hand,

[00:36:18] you can

[00:36:19] back up.

[00:36:20] It's okay

[00:36:21] to back up,

[00:36:23] but let God

[00:36:24] do the

[00:36:25] vindicating.

[00:36:26] Let Him

[00:36:26] do the

[00:36:27] judgment.

[00:36:29] Let Him

[00:36:29] do the

[00:36:30] condemning.

[00:36:33] But He said,

[00:36:34] love thy

[00:36:34] neighbor.

[00:36:36] And that's

[00:36:37] even in our

[00:36:38] relationships

[00:36:38] to support

[00:36:39] one another.

[00:36:42] I'm always

[00:36:43] reminded when

[00:36:45] God said,

[00:36:47] and be not

[00:36:48] conformed to

[00:36:49] the world,

[00:36:50] but ye be

[00:36:51] transformed by

[00:36:52] the renewing

[00:36:53] of your mind.

[00:36:55] As I sit

[00:36:56] back and

[00:36:56] watch a lot

[00:36:57] of the

[00:36:58] social media

[00:36:59] going on,

[00:37:00] whether it

[00:37:00] be the

[00:37:00] book of

[00:37:01] faces,

[00:37:01] the TikTok,

[00:37:03] the Instagram,

[00:37:04] even sometime

[00:37:05] over here in

[00:37:06] these YouTube

[00:37:07] streets,

[00:37:08] I'm never

[00:37:09] going to be

[00:37:10] the one

[00:37:10] to tear

[00:37:13] apart how

[00:37:14] someone else

[00:37:16] rightly divides

[00:37:17] the word.

[00:37:18] I can offer

[00:37:20] a helping

[00:37:20] hand if

[00:37:23] they got it

[00:37:23] wrong,

[00:37:23] and I would

[00:37:24] hope that

[00:37:25] they would

[00:37:26] do me the

[00:37:26] same way.

[00:37:28] But I'm

[00:37:29] going to

[00:37:29] support,

[00:37:30] and that's

[00:37:31] a part of

[00:37:31] loving people.

[00:37:33] Same thing

[00:37:34] with our

[00:37:35] families.

[00:37:36] We're supposed

[00:37:36] to educate,

[00:37:37] feed our

[00:37:38] family if they

[00:37:38] don't know

[00:37:40] God's living

[00:37:41] word.

[00:37:42] We're not

[00:37:43] supposed to

[00:37:44] take it in

[00:37:44] our hands

[00:37:45] and tear

[00:37:46] them apart

[00:37:47] because they

[00:37:47] don't know.

[00:37:49] We're supposed

[00:37:49] to let

[00:37:50] our light

[00:37:51] shine

[00:37:52] before men

[00:37:53] so that

[00:37:55] our heavenly

[00:37:55] father

[00:37:56] can get

[00:37:57] the glory.

[00:37:58] We don't

[00:37:58] get any

[00:37:59] receipts

[00:38:00] out of

[00:38:01] doing the

[00:38:01] job

[00:38:02] that God

[00:38:03] asked us

[00:38:03] to do.

[00:38:06] So as

[00:38:07] I read

[00:38:08] Judges

[00:38:09] chapter 14,

[00:38:10] I started

[00:38:10] to think

[00:38:11] about all

[00:38:12] these

[00:38:12] different

[00:38:12] ways

[00:38:13] in the

[00:38:14] body

[00:38:15] of

[00:38:15] Christ

[00:38:15] that

[00:38:18] we

[00:38:18] could

[00:38:19] actually

[00:38:19] help

[00:38:20] one

[00:38:20] another

[00:38:20] because

[00:38:23] we're

[00:38:24] living

[00:38:24] in a

[00:38:25] time

[00:38:26] where we're

[00:38:27] going to

[00:38:27] need all

[00:38:28] the help

[00:38:29] that we

[00:38:29] can get.

[00:38:30] I might

[00:38:31] need someone

[00:38:31] else's

[00:38:32] prayers.

[00:38:32] They may

[00:38:33] need my

[00:38:34] prayers.

[00:38:36] We're

[00:38:36] going to

[00:38:37] need to

[00:38:37] cover

[00:38:38] one

[00:38:38] another.

[00:38:40] and in

[00:38:41] the body

[00:38:41] of Christ,

[00:38:42] we don't

[00:38:43] have time

[00:38:44] to be

[00:38:45] bickering

[00:38:45] back and

[00:38:47] forth

[00:38:49] with each

[00:38:49] other,

[00:38:52] but we

[00:38:53] have time

[00:38:54] to love

[00:38:55] one another.

[00:38:57] Love

[00:38:58] and true

[00:38:59] togetherness.

[00:39:00] I believe

[00:39:01] that is what

[00:39:02] God was

[00:39:03] trying to

[00:39:03] demonstrate

[00:39:04] as he

[00:39:05] brought

[00:39:05] the people

[00:39:05] out of

[00:39:08] Egypt,

[00:39:08] how to

[00:39:09] work

[00:39:10] together

[00:39:11] and how

[00:39:15] to love

[00:39:16] one another,

[00:39:17] trust

[00:39:17] one another.

[00:39:21] And then

[00:39:21] over in

[00:39:22] the New

[00:39:22] Testament,

[00:39:23] what did

[00:39:23] he tell

[00:39:24] us?

[00:39:25] If they

[00:39:26] don't receive

[00:39:26] you,

[00:39:27] and I'm

[00:39:28] paraphrasing,

[00:39:29] shake the

[00:39:29] dust off.

[00:39:30] You don't

[00:39:31] beat it

[00:39:31] in anybody's

[00:39:32] head.

[00:39:34] Again,

[00:39:35] my mother

[00:39:36] used to

[00:39:36] say all

[00:39:36] the time,

[00:39:37] it is my

[00:39:38] job to

[00:39:39] tell you

[00:39:40] what the

[00:39:40] word says,

[00:39:41] what you

[00:39:42] do with

[00:39:42] it.

[00:39:43] You on

[00:39:44] your own

[00:39:44] right there,

[00:39:45] but I've

[00:39:46] done my

[00:39:47] job.

[00:39:50] So here,

[00:39:53] Samson's

[00:39:53] wife,

[00:39:54] she was

[00:39:54] more loyal

[00:39:55] to what

[00:39:58] would happen

[00:39:59] to her

[00:39:59] parents,

[00:40:01] more loyal

[00:40:02] to the

[00:40:02] people than

[00:40:04] she was

[00:40:06] to Samson.

[00:40:08] And I

[00:40:09] can imagine

[00:40:09] that hurt,

[00:40:13] but being

[00:40:14] the honorable

[00:40:14] man that he

[00:40:15] was,

[00:40:16] he paid

[00:40:16] this debt

[00:40:18] and he

[00:40:19] went on

[00:40:19] back to

[00:40:19] his father's

[00:40:20] house.

[00:40:23] And sometimes

[00:40:24] that's what

[00:40:24] we have to

[00:40:24] do.

[00:40:27] Instead of

[00:40:27] getting in

[00:40:29] confrontations

[00:40:29] with people,

[00:40:31] go pray

[00:40:32] about that

[00:40:33] thing.

[00:40:33] Go on

[00:40:33] back to

[00:40:34] your father's

[00:40:34] house.

[00:40:37] Ask him

[00:40:38] to give you

[00:40:39] some insight,

[00:40:41] a little bit

[00:40:42] of discernment

[00:40:43] about what

[00:40:43] you should

[00:40:44] do.

[00:40:44] And if

[00:40:45] you find

[00:40:45] yourself

[00:40:45] being

[00:40:46] convicted,

[00:40:48] then it's

[00:40:49] to you

[00:40:49] to make

[00:40:50] that thing

[00:40:50] right.

[00:40:53] And that

[00:40:54] is the

[00:40:54] whole point

[00:40:55] of forgiveness

[00:40:55] being for

[00:40:56] you.

[00:40:58] because if

[00:40:58] the Holy

[00:40:59] Spirit lives

[00:41:00] deep down

[00:41:00] inside of

[00:41:02] you,

[00:41:02] you will

[00:41:03] be convicted

[00:41:03] and you

[00:41:05] won't be

[00:41:05] able to

[00:41:05] shake that

[00:41:06] thing.

[00:41:08] I've been

[00:41:08] there,

[00:41:09] I know.

[00:41:10] And I

[00:41:11] don't like

[00:41:11] the way

[00:41:11] that conviction

[00:41:13] feels.

[00:41:15] So I'm

[00:41:16] quick to

[00:41:17] apologize to

[00:41:17] my adversary.

[00:41:19] In-house

[00:41:20] or out-house

[00:41:23] doesn't feel

[00:41:24] good and it

[00:41:25] doesn't mean

[00:41:25] that that

[00:41:26] person may be

[00:41:27] my bestie.

[00:41:28] It just

[00:41:29] means I

[00:41:30] did what

[00:41:30] my father

[00:41:31] told me

[00:41:32] to do,

[00:41:33] which is

[00:41:34] to make

[00:41:34] that thing

[00:41:35] right.

[00:41:36] And I

[00:41:36] don't like

[00:41:37] to shun

[00:41:37] people.

[00:41:38] I'm a

[00:41:38] very friendly

[00:41:39] person.

[00:41:41] And when

[00:41:42] I see

[00:41:42] people being

[00:41:43] shunned

[00:41:45] or mistreated,

[00:41:48] that kind

[00:41:48] of aggravates

[00:41:49] me.

[00:41:52] Because if

[00:41:53] we're walking

[00:41:53] with Christ

[00:41:54] like we

[00:41:54] say we

[00:41:54] are,

[00:41:56] we shouldn't

[00:41:57] be shunning

[00:41:57] anyone.

[00:41:59] we should

[00:42:00] be uplifting

[00:42:01] and loving

[00:42:02] one another.

[00:42:04] So that's

[00:42:05] my take

[00:42:05] on it

[00:42:07] as I can

[00:42:08] apply it

[00:42:08] to my

[00:42:08] life.

[00:42:10] But go

[00:42:11] on over

[00:42:11] to your

[00:42:11] Bible,

[00:42:13] read Judges

[00:42:14] chapter 14

[00:42:15] for yourself,

[00:42:17] meditate on it

[00:42:17] for yourself,

[00:42:20] and discover

[00:42:21] what you

[00:42:22] and how

[00:42:22] you can

[00:42:23] apply it

[00:42:24] to your

[00:42:24] life.

[00:42:26] Because

[00:42:26] everything

[00:42:27] in God's

[00:42:28] word

[00:42:29] is something

[00:42:30] in there.

[00:42:32] It's

[00:42:33] always

[00:42:34] something in

[00:42:34] his word

[00:42:36] that we

[00:42:36] all can

[00:42:37] learn a

[00:42:37] lesson out

[00:42:38] of.

[00:42:40] Even when

[00:42:40] we don't

[00:42:41] want to

[00:42:42] accept it,

[00:42:45] it helps

[00:42:46] strengthen us

[00:42:46] to be a

[00:42:47] better person

[00:42:48] in life.

[00:42:50] So you

[00:42:51] guys,

[00:42:51] be blessed.

[00:42:52] Enjoy

[00:42:53] your weekend.

[00:42:54] Get into

[00:42:55] your word

[00:42:56] this weekend,

[00:42:57] especially for

[00:42:58] those of

[00:42:58] you that

[00:42:59] are working.

[00:43:02] Find

[00:43:02] yourself in

[00:43:03] a good

[00:43:03] Bible-based

[00:43:04] church,

[00:43:05] fellowship

[00:43:05] with some

[00:43:06] like-minded

[00:43:06] people.

[00:43:07] Give

[00:43:07] God the

[00:43:07] glory.

[00:43:08] And as

[00:43:09] always,

[00:43:09] if you

[00:43:09] can't do

[00:43:10] anything

[00:43:10] else,

[00:43:14] give

[00:43:14] someone a

[00:43:15] kind

[00:43:15] word.

[00:43:17] a

[00:43:17] hot

[00:43:18] meal,

[00:43:18] goes a

[00:43:19] long,

[00:43:19] long way.

[00:43:21] And hopefully

[00:43:21] guys,

[00:43:21] you'll catch

[00:43:22] us back

[00:43:22] here in

[00:43:23] an hour

[00:43:23] or so

[00:43:24] with Freedom

[00:43:24] Friday's

[00:43:25] Girl Chat.

[00:43:27] Go chop

[00:43:27] it up

[00:43:28] with the

[00:43:29] bestie and

[00:43:29] see what's

[00:43:30] on her

[00:43:31] mind on

[00:43:31] today.

[00:43:32] Don't

[00:43:32] forget,

[00:43:33] you can

[00:43:33] use

[00:43:34] www.

[00:43:36] betterhelp

[00:43:36] slash

[00:43:37] 12th

[00:43:38] street to

[00:43:39] get 10%

[00:43:40] off your

[00:43:40] first month

[00:43:41] at

[00:43:42] betterhelp.

[00:43:43] If you

[00:43:43] know someone,

[00:43:44] tell a

[00:43:44] friend,

[00:43:45] tell a

[00:43:45] friend,

[00:43:45] hit that

[00:43:46] subscribe,

[00:43:47] hit that

[00:43:47] like,

[00:43:48] hit that

[00:43:48] share

[00:43:48] button,

[00:43:49] and we'll

[00:43:49] see you

[00:43:50] on Monday.