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    Samson Xfile: What You Were Never Told
    Samson Xfile: What You Were Never Told
    Samson Xfile: What You Were Never Told
    Ebook134 pages2 hours

    Samson Xfile: What You Were Never Told

    By Ruthven Roy

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    About this ebook

    "His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord; for he was seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines" â Judges 14:4, NRSV.

    It is most alarming that this ignorance was not only the misfortune of Samson's parents and his people, Israel, but it is also reflected in the Christian tradition. This tradition has perpetuated an incorrect, promiscuous view of this hero of faith by failing to consider the gracious outworking of God's peculiar providence and sovereign will.

    Truly, this unconventional masterpiece is filled with surprising truth packages that prompt faith and bring fresh hope to life. In this volume, Dr Roy takes you into a very intriguing journey through the window of this X-file (Judges 14:4), to unveil the wonderful workings of God's mysterious purpose in the life of his childhood hero, Samson.

    You will be greatly amazed, as he was, when you come face to face with yourself in the life of Samson. There you will discover that God's guiding providence is able to work out, and through, all situations--the Xfile in your life--for your present and eternal good, and His glory.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublishereBookIt.com
    Release dateApr 26, 2016
    ISBN9781456622961
    Samson Xfile: What You Were Never Told

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      Book preview

      Samson Xfile - Ruthven Roy

      reading.

      Preface

      This book had to be written, not because I wanted to write it—it was never a part of my present or future writing agenda—but because God moved me very strongly so to do. For me, this was a most unusual experience because I have read the story of Samson many times over; but I have never encountered the truths that the Spirit of God revealed to me on this particular occasion.

      It all started as a matter of course (at least, so I thought), as I made my way through the Bible, book after book, during my daily devotion. As I came to the book of Judges, and began studying the life of Samson, I could not get past the fourth verse of chapter 14. The verse reads: However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. For the very first time, the reality of this verse grabbed my attention and would not let go. Day after day, the Spirit of God beckoned me to fresh insights and revelations into a story I thought I knew so well. I was surprisingly very mistaken.

      Thus began my eye-opening journey into the life of one of my childhood heroes, seen primarily through the window of God’s sovereign will and providence, and not merely from the prevailing standpoint of Samson’s actions. Suddenly, the over-arching presence of the God behind Samson transcended all the events of his battle-scarred life, filling me with not only a new vision of the Almighty, but also a fresh, jaw-dropping appreciation for the faith and courage of my hero.

      I believe that you will be amazed, as I was, when you encounter the awesome majesty, power and wisdom of the Almighty in this real life drama that has been veiled in the sea of human suspicion for many centuries. This volume will challenge your preconceptions concerning this judge of Israel, as the mysterious purpose of God emerges out of every scene in the champion’s life.

      However, I trust that you will also experience, as I have, a new sense of hope with regard to all the situations in your life, as you become more keenly aware of the guiding presence of your all-seeing, all-knowing, loving Father. Moreover, I pray that you will be greatly blessed as you respond to the challenge called forth from the pages of this book.

      - R. J. R

      Foreword

      Everyone has a childhood hero, from Little Red Riding Hood to Jesus of Nazareth, and all those in between. These heroes emerge from every walk of life and have made their indelible imprints on the minds of countless youngsters. However, the images and thoughts we have pertaining to our childhood heroes often change as we grow into adulthood. Some of these heroes often appear to be larger than life, and their impact on our lives continues to grow with the passing of the years, as our knowledge and understanding of them continue to expand.

      In this inspirational landmark, Dr. Roy reveals how his childhood view of one of his heroes, Samson, which pervaded most of his adult life, suddenly took a turn for the best. He discovered that what he regarded as major flaws in Samson’s character, were really evidences of an uncommon, one-of-a kind faith in the God who gave birth to him (Samson).

      - M. D. C

      Introduction

      Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

      ¹⁵FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND   UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND   RETURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM.’

      ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

      Matthew 13:13-17

      When Seeing is not Believing

      From earliest childhood, we are taught to believe what we see with our eyes, touch with our hands, taste with our tongues, smell with our noses and hear with our ears—in short, believe whatever enters our minds through the avenues of our five senses. Because of this preconditioning, little children, and even adults, are often taken aback whenever they witness stellar performances, by very creative artistes and magicians that simply defy comprehension. However, as an informed adult, I have now come to understand and believe that we can educate our minds to change the way in which we perceive what is real. This ability, I believe, is what provides the foundation for developing various types of biases or prejudicial attitudes towards people, information, and situations. Daily, we see these attitudes displayed in race relations, media presentations, sports and games analyses, political speeches by crafty spin-doctors, or individuals who seek to veil the truth about anything for the purpose of gaining some personal advantage.

      This was the type of situation that Jesus faced when He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the nation of Israel. The Jewish leadership had already formed their opinion of the Messiah before He actually arrived, and had taught the people to prepare for the fictitious coronation of a religio-political king. Thus, when God’s Messiah did appear, and the Truth was manifested in person and the proclaimed Word before the nation, the leaders and people did not believe the witness He bore.

      Therefore, Jesus chose to speak to the people in parables, because while seeing they [did] not see, and while hearing they [did] not hear, nor [did] they   understand (Matthew 13:13). Because their spirits were disconnected from the life of God, the leaders of Israel had educated their minds, and those of the Jewish masses, to reject the Messiah and the truth He proclaimed about the kingdom of heaven. It was certainly not to their religious and political advantage or ambition to accept either.

      Consequently, Christ further declared, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, that the heart [spiritual core] of this people has become dull [insensitive], and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes [of their mind or understanding] lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I should heal them (Matthew 13:15, parenthesis mine).

      Here is represented the ultimate example of when seeing is not believing. When once a person’s spirit is divorced from the life of God it is impossible for that individual to discern or comprehend spiritual things unless he/she has been regenerated (quicken from the dead, Ephesians 2:1) from above by the Holy Spirit. In this regard, Jesus told Nicodemus: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). The apostle Paul clearly agreed with this when he stated:

      Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, ¹³which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. ¹⁴But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

      1 Corinthians 2:12-14

      The natural man refers not only to the unregenerated sinner, but also to the born again person who is still dominated by his/her fleshly thought-life and fallen world-view. Such a person is quite capable of being very religious (like the scribe and Pharisees were), astute in biblical knowledge, zealous in good works, but yet not controlled by the Spirit from above.

      There is a world of difference between human wisdom (worldly or religious intellectualism) and the wisdom that comes from above, each bearing the fruit of the tree that gave birth to it—either of Life unto life or death unto death. James explains that human wisdom is envious, selfish, arrogant, unspiritual and devilish, always leading to disorder and every imaginable form of evil; but the wisdom from above, he says, is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:14-17).

      So how do we see when we read the Word of God? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that presently, "we see through a glass darkly." Our eyes and our ears are virtual windows and doors to our minds. Paul’s description suggests that the windows of our eyes are very cloudy, dark, or opaque, obscuring our vision. Our windows are very cloudy because they reflect the condition of our spirit and mind.

      Depending on the state of our minds, our vision could be very misty-grey, but never completely clear because of the weakness of our flesh. The real truth,

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