FAITH AND COURAGE

One day, Jonathan, the son of king Saul, said to his helper, “Let’s make our way across to the Philistine camp.” Jonathan did not tell his father what he was planning.

When Jonathan was near the Philistine camp, he said to his servant, “Let’s cross over to the camp. Maybe the Lord will help us: If He does, we will have the victory even though it is only us against so many. This is what we will do: we will let the Philistines see us. If they tell us to wait while they come to us, we will stay here. But if they call us, we will go across to them because it will be a sign from the Lord that He will give us victory.”

When the Philistines saw Jonathan, they said, “Look! Some Hebrews are coming out of their hiding places.” And they called Jonathan, “Come here; we have something to tell you.”

So Jonathan and the young man went across to the Philistines and attacked them. The Lord gave them victory, and the Philistines in the area were terrified. (1 Samuel 14:1-15)

Is a Daring Deed an Act of Bravery or Foolishness?
Would you say Jonathan was brave or foolish? How can we know the difference? Below are some thoughts that may help:

Bravery: Did Jonathan do a courageous deed…
• in obedience to God?
• for God’s glory and honor?
• to rescue people in danger?

Foolishness: did Jonathan take a risk…
• for fun?
• to show off his power and skill?
• to get a reward?

Verse for today
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)

SAUL ON A MISSION

The Philistines were back! They had gathered to fight the Israelites again and were in 

such a strong position that the Israelites hid in caves and behind rocks.

Meanwhile Saul was waiting for Samuel at a place called Gilgal. He had been waiting 

for seven days and was becoming impatient. Many of Saul’s people started deserting him 

so Saul decided to make a sacrifice to the Lord by himself, instead of waiting for Samuel.

Just as Saul had finished his sacrifice, Samuel arrived and said, “What have you done?”

Saul replied; “The people were leaving me and you had not come. So I thought I could win the Lord’s favor by offering a sacrifice to Him myself.”

Samuel said, “That was a foolish thing to do. Because you have done this, your reign 

over the nation of Israel will end.” (1 Samuel 13:5-14)

Why Was God Not Pleased with Saul’s Sacrifice?
Saul must have thought to himself: “I will win this battle—no matter what! And, if Samuel doesn’t come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord soon, I’ll just have to bend the rules a bit and do it myself. I will do whatever it takes to get the Lord on my side so He can help me win this battle! And if I don’t do it now, everybody will leave me… and there goes my popularity!”

Saul wanted to do something religious in order to get God to help him win. Saul was impatient and disobedient. He was relying on his own ‘good ideas’ instead of trusting God to do things His way. Saul only wanted God’s blessing so that he could win; afterwards Saul would take all the glory for himself.

Verse for today
…To obey is better than sacrifice… 1 Samuel 15:22

THE KING LOOKS GOOD

After Samuel had introduced Saul as king to the people of Israel, he 

explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote a list of them in a book.

Not long afterwards, Saul heard that an enemy of Israel had threatened the town 

of Jabesh. When Saul heard this, the Spirit of the Lord took control of him. He was 

furious and gathered men from all over Israel to fight the enemy. Saul and his men 

went to attack the enemy at dawn, and by midday Saul’s army had defeated them. 

Then the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Where are those who said that Saul 

should not be king. Let’s get rid of them as well.”

“No one must die,” Samuel said, “for today is a day that the Lord 

rescued Israel!” (1 Samuel 11:1-6, 11-15)

Does God Also Bless My Bad Decisions?
It seemed as though Israel’s decision to have their very own king had not been such a bad idea after all. Saul had hardly begun his reign when the Israelite army went out and defeated an age-old enemy: Saul’s first victory! Although Saul seemed to have gotten off to a good start, we are able to take a peep at what lay ahead. If you turn to 1 Samuel 16:1, you will see what God said about Saul.

God can and will do whatever He has planned to do—with or without our help. If we do things that displease the Lord, He finds other ways to carry out His plan. God may well decide to use a bad decision as part of His plan, but He may also choose to do something completely different. Either way, the person who decides to do things in his or her own way—and not God’s way—loses out on the wonderful blessings of being in the will of God.

Verse for today
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25

GOD'S SECOND BEST

While Samuel the priest was speaking to Saul, God told him that Saul was the one 

He had chosen to be the king of Israel. So Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord has chosen 

you as ruler of Israel. You will rule His people and protect them from their enemies.”

Then Samuel called the people together for a special meeting and said; “This is what 

the Lord says: ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. But you have 

pushed away your God who saves you out of all your troubles, and have asked for a king.’”

Then Samuel chose the tribe and the family as God directed him. Finally, Saul was 

chosen. So they brought Saul out to the people and Samuel said, “Here is the man 

God has chosen for you.” (1 Samuel 9:17, 10:1, 17-24)

Can a Bad Decision Ruin God's Plan for Me?
Israel wanted a king they could see. Their faith had become so weak that they no longer trusted in an unseen King. There was also another reason for wanting a king: they wanted to be like the other nations around them. The Israelites thought that a king would make their nation look strong and ‘with it’.

God sometimes lets us have what we want if we insist on having our own way. When God sees that we are determined to do our own thing, He lets us learn from our mistakes.

Decisions always have consequences and, while God will forgive us for the bad choices we make, the results and effects of those choices don’t go away. That is why it is so important to be careful when making a decision that could affect you (or others) for years to come. Important decisions should not be taken lightly or without asking God.

However, if you do make a bad decision, God who is merciful will find a way to keep on using you and blessing you. Just let God have His way in your life again.

Verse for today
Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me.” (Jeremiah 15:19)

LOST AND FOUND

There was a man named Kish who had a tall, handsome son named Saul. 

Some of his donkeys had wandered off, so Kish asked Saul and one of the 

servants to go look for the donkeys. For three days they walked all over the 

countryside looking for the donkeys. Eventually Saul said to his servant

 “Let’s go back home or my father may become more worried about us than 

about his donkeys.” His servant said, “Wait! There is a holy man in this

 town; maybe he can tell us where the donkeys are.”

As Saul and his servant were going into the town, Samuel came 

walking towards them. Samuel said to Saul, “Don’t worry, your 

donkeys have already been found.” (1 Samuel 9:1-6, 18-20)

What Should I do When Something is Lost?

How terrible it feels when a pet you love disappears. It could be a puppy that has run away or a rabbit that got out. How would you feel if an important schoolbook went missing or something valuable got lost?

Saul did the right thing. First he went to look for his father’s donkeys and then, when it was clear that they were nowhere to be found, he went to see Samuel, a man of God. Saul realized that God could see exactly where his donkeys were and could lead him straight there.

When something goes missing, you should pray to God. Remember, your prayer of faith is as valuable to God as the prayer of an adult. After you have prayed, keep looking—like the woman who searched for her lost coin (Luke 15:8-9). Trust God to lead you; and if He gives you peace, then thank Him for hearing your prayer. Expect God to answer, and trust Him to work things out in the very best way!

Verse for today
‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Luke 15:6

ISRAEL WANTS A KING

When Samuel grew old, his sons became judges in Israel. But they 

were not good judges like Samuel was. They were dishonest. So the 

leaders of Israel met with Samuel and said, “You are getting old and your 

sons are not following your example. Choose a king to rule over us so that 

we can be like all the other countries.”

So Samuel prayed and asked the Lord what he should do.   The Lord said to 

Samuel, “They have not only rejected you; they have rejected me as their King 

and have turned away from me to worship other gods. Let them have their way

 but give them a strict warning about how an ordinary king will treat them.”

 (1 Samuel 8:1-9, 19-21)

What is Wrong with Having a King?

What could be wrong with a nation asking for a king to rule over them? Does God not like kings; does He not want someone to rule a country?

God is not against a nation having a ruler or king. The Bible even says that God sets up kings (Daniel 2:21), and Hebrews 13:17 tells us that we should obey our rulers.

God was angry with Israel because they wanted a human king, while He was already their King. He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, provided for them in the desert, and helped them conquer the heathen tribes in the Promised Land. He was better that any earthly king could ever be! He not only protected and provided for His people, He also loved them and cared for them. Now the Israelites were turning their backs on God and wanting a human king so they could be like the other nations.

Who is king of your heart? Allow Jesus, the King of kings to rule in your heart, and you will be blessed!

Verse for today
I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 8:10

TROUBLE FOR THE ENEMY

After the Philistines had captured the Covenant Box, they took it to the temple of  

their god Dagon. Early the next morning, the people of the city found the statue of 

Dagon lying in pieces, flat on its face. The Lord punished the people of the 

city by letting bumps grow on their bodies. When they saw what was happening, they said, “We are being punished by the God of the Israelites.” And they took the Covenant Box to another city.

The Lord punished that city too, so the Philistines took the Covenant 

Box to another city. Wherever they took the holy Covenant Box, the people 

were punished.  Eventually, they put the Covenant Box on a wagon drawn by 

two cows. The cows headed straight for the town of Beth Shemesh in Israel 

from where it was taken to Kiriath Jearim. There it stayed for twenty years. 

(1 Samuel 5:1-11, 7:1-2)

Can the Enemy of God Keep Whatever He Captures?
The Bible says that God’s enemy (the devil) has come to steal and destroy what belongs to God (John 10:10). He wants to take everything he can, and what he cannot steal, he will try to destroy. The devil hates anything that is pure and good!

God’s enemy has stolen our innocence and left us with guilt. The devil robs us of joy and leaves us with sadness and pain. He takes peace from our hearts and leaves us with worry and fear.

But Jesus died on the cross to take away our guilt. He has given us His purity and made us acceptable to God (Ephesians 1:4). He gives us joy in place of sadness (Isaiah 61:3) and puts His peace deep
down in our hearts (John 14:27). The devil may take away our possessions for a while, as he did with Job, but he can never take away the treasure inside us. Paul said "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (2 Timothy 1:12).

Verse for today
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)

PROPHETIC ARTS WORKSHOP

As part of the strain and full force effort in helping the youth in the community to maintain the burning fire in their hearts towards Jesus, The Ambassadors of Christ's has just concluded its very first "Prophetic Arts Workshop" last April 13, 2015 which lasted for three hours.

Pastor Jeff Gatdula who continuously supports the vision of AOC  facilitated and ministered the God-filled event which was attended by almost 30 youths. During praise and worship, the house is sated with so much joy and praises with songs "Today is the Day", "10000 Reasons" and "Mahal na Mahal Kita Panginoon".

THE AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST

ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73hIQZNlAqQ

A DARING ACT

The Lord’s angel had told Gideon that God would use him to rescue the 

Israelites from their enemies. That evening, the angel told him to take 

two bulls and go and destroy his father’s altar to the heathen god, Baal. 

The Lord also told him to build an altar on the exact same spot and 

burn one of the bulls on it using the wood from the Asherah pole, which was also 

an idol.  That night, while everybody was sleeping, he and ten of 

his servants took the two bulls and tore down the altar. In the 

morning, when the people of the town got up and found that their 

altar had been torn down, they asked each other, "Who did this?" 

When they found out that Gideon had done it, they said to his father 

Joash, "Bring Gideon here so we can put him to death."

But Joash said, "Are you trying to defend Baal? It is his altar that was

 torn down; let Baal defend himself!" (Judges 6:25-32)

HOW CAN I OPENLY HONOR GOD?

People usually talk and write about the things that fill their minds. David wrote many beautiful songs and poems about the Lord because he thought about God all the time (Psalm 63:6).

Those who watch and listen to horrible things, fill their minds (and hearts) with wrong things. The evil that litters their minds starts to spill out in different ways that can be seen and heard by those around them.

So if, for example, someone at school has scribbled bad words somewhere, or written something dishonoring about the Lord, you could ask your teacher if you may clean it off or blot it out. God will honor your bold step when you, like Gideon, do the right thing.

Verse for today

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

ONE LAST TIME

The Philistines had finally found out where Samson’s strength lay. They realized that 

he had been dedicated to God from the day he was born and that his hair was a sign 

of the Nazirite vow. Now Samson was their prisoner; blind and in chains, grinding

grain in the prison. But his hair, which had been cut, started to grow again.

The Philistine kings got together to celebrate their victory over Samson, and 

said, “Let’s get Samson here to entertain us.” When they brought Samson out he 

asked the servant to put him between the pillars that support the Temple.

Samson prayed to God and said, “Remember me, O God. Please make me strong 

just one more time.” Then Samson put one hand on each pillar and pushed with all 

his might… and the whole Temple came crashing down. Samson died with the people 

and killed more Philistines that day than he had during his whole life.

Judges 16:23-30

Can God still use me if I have really messed up?

If God stopped using everyone who sinned, made a mistake, or went the wrong way, there would be no one left to use. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Even the apostle Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” Philippians 3:12.

Even though Samson had messed up, God was still able to use him. In the end, Samson turned to God because he knew where his strength came from. Maybe he had not prayed for a long time, but God saw his faith and answered his prayer. In the New Testament, Samson is even mentioned for his faith, together with others like Gideon! (Hebrews 11:32-33).

Verse for today
Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me.” (Jeremiah 15:19a)

THE TRAP

Some time after Samson had killed the thousand Philistines, he fell in love with Delilah, 

another Philistine woman. A group of Philistine kings got together and offered her a 

big reward if she could find out the secret of Samson’s strength. So Delilah nagged 

Samson to tell her the secret of his strength. Three times he told her what would make him 

weak, but each time she tried to make Samson weak, he broke loose without any effort.

Day after day she nagged him and said, “If you really love me you will tell me 

the truth.” Finally, he got so tired of her nagging that he said: “I have been dedicated 

to God as a Nazirite, and if my hair were cut, I would be as weak as anyone else.”

Later, while Samson was asleep, she cut off his hair. When she woke him up

he was truly as weak as anyone else and the Philistines captured him.

(Judges 16:4-6, 18-22)

Can love make one blind?

Samson loved Delilah so much that he didn’t realize how the Philistines were using her to find out the secret of his strength. Every time she would try to make him weak, the Philistines were right there to capture him. He was using his strength to tease the enemy, but sadly he didn’t use his mind. He should have known better than to fall in love with one of the Philistine women. Selfish ‘love’ made him blind to the devil’s trap.

God’s kind of love makes us blind too, but in a good way. God’s love makes us blind to the imperfections and faults in others (Proverbs 10:12), while His love in our hearts helps us see the hidden traps of sin.

Verse for today

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

PROPHETIC ARTS WORKSHOP

The Ambassadors of Christ will have its First Workshop Conference on Prophetic Arts on April 13, 2015. For further details, you may call or send SMS to Maribel Godinez or Jem Hernandez at 09087564272 or 09307770519.  

GOD HAS A BETTER PLAN FOR YOU!!

Let us all stand in Sincerity of Spirits and NOT on Sincerity of Purpose. To God be the Glory. 

SAMSON THROWS A PARTY

Samson was having a party, which was the thing to do after getting married. He 

and his father went to the woman’s house where thirty young Philistine men 

joined them. Samson said to the men, “Let me ask you a riddle. I bet each of you

a piece of fine linen and special clothes that you can’t solve the riddle by the time 

the wedding feast is over.” They all agreed, so Samson said, 

“Here is the riddle: Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the 

strong came something sweet.”

Day after day the young men tried to work out the riddle. On the fourth day

they went to Samson’s wife and told her to trick Samson into telling her the riddle. 

At first Samson would not tell her, but after she had nagged and cried about it for 

days, he told her. She secretly went to tell the Philistines the meaning of the 

riddle, and Samson lost the bet.

(Judges 14:10-20)

Is it wrong to take a bet?
Why do people take bets? Is it because they are convinced they are right; is it because they enjoy proving someone wrong; or is it to get something for nothing out of the deal? These reasons (and probably some others) seem pretty selfish and are likely to cause quarrels and disappointment.

Solving a riddle can be a lot of fun, and it is good when it just a friendly brainteaser. In Samson’s case, this was more than a friendly brainteaser—it was a show of power and pride. (Samson didn’t even have the linen and clothes he promised as a reward.) With any bet, someone is always the loser! Don’t take a bet in order to prove yourself better than someone else or to get something from the other person.

Verse for today

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)

WITH THE POWER OF GOD

Samson had destroyed the cornfields of the Philistines and they were determined to 

take revenge. They set up camp near the Israelites and attacked them. When the 

Israelites asked them, “Why are you attacking us?” they replied, “We have come 

to take Samson prisoner.”   So the Israelites went to look for Samson and 

when they found him they said, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are 

our rulers? Why did you burn their cornfields? We have come to tie you up and 

hand you over to them.”   So Samson allowed himself to be tied up. 

As they got close to the Philistines, God’s strength came on Samson and 

he broke the ropes. Then he found and old jawbone of and donkey and killed 

a thousand Philistines with it.

How strong are we without God?

Your mom has probably told you that you should eat all your food if you want to be healthy and strong. She is right! Our bodies do need good food, exercise and rest.

Do you sometimes wonder what made Samson so much stronger than anyone else? Is it because he ate all his vegetables or spent hours doing bodybuilding? 

Although Samson was probably well-built and strong, we read that his super-strength came from the Lord. Every time Samson had amazing strength, the Spirit of the Lord had just come upon Him (see Judges 14:6, 19, 15:14).

Yet, it is not just super-strength that comes from the Lord; every move we make and every breath we take is by God’s grace, because He is the One who holds us in His hands (Daniel 5:23d).

Verse for today

(Jesus said,) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The Ambassadors in the Making after the Year-End Fellowship

FEELING LEFT OUT

When all the fighting was over and the two Midianite chiefs had been killed, the people 

from the tribe of Ephraim complained to Gideon. “Why didn’t you call us to help 

you fight the Midianites?” they asked. So Gideon said to them, “The little I did was 

nothing compared to what you have done. With God’s help you killed the Midianite chiefs! 

What have I done to compare with that?” When they heard what Gideon said, they were 

not so angry anymore. In the end the Midianites were completely defeated and 

were no longer a threat. The Lord sent peace in the land for as long as Gideon lived. 

(Judges 8:1-3, 28)

What should I do about someone who feels left out?

 Have you ever been told that you could only invite a certain number of friends to a party? If you were to meet one of the friends who wasn’t invited and feels hurt, what would you say? 

Maybe you are the captain of a team and have to decide who gets to play in a match. How would you explain to your friend why you didn’t choose him or her? 

You could say; “You aren’t quite good enough,” or “There wasn’t enough space for everyone.” However, deep down you know that you would not be happy with an answer like that. On the other hand, trying to avoid your friend in the hope that the problem will go away will only make your friendship cool off. 

Gideon realized that a tribe had been left out of the action, but he let them share the feeling of victory by making them feel important and useful. Can you think of some ways to encourage a friend who feels left out? 

Verse for today

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

KEEPING SECRETS

Keeping secrets

Samson was on his way to Timnah with his father and mother to meet the Philistine women he wanted to marry. On their way, walking through the vineyards, Samson heard a young lion roaring. The power of the Lord came on Samson and made him very strong. He went after the lion and killed it with his bare hands, but He didn’t tell his parents what he had done.

A few days later, when Samson went back to marry the Philistine woman, he went to look for the dead lion. A swarm of bees had made a hive inside the lion’s body, so Samson scraped the honey out and, when he met up with his parents again, gave them some too. But Samson did not tell his parents where he had got the honey. (Judges 14:5-9)

Should I tell my parents everything?

Isn’t it amazing how parents seem to find out about the things their children try to hide from them? For a while, children may be able to cover up something, but in the end, parents always seem to stumble across the evidence or start asking uncomfortable questions. When you try to cover up your sin, you’ll end up feeling guilty, dirty, dishonest, and miserable. God knows you are not perfect; so when you do sin, He wants you to confess your sin straight away (1 John 1:9).

Samson was not supposed to go near anything that was dead—and he knew it; yet he was disobedient and kept it a secret. You don’t need to carry the weight of guilt in your heart, or live a life of secret failures! Tell your parents about your temptations and struggles so they can pray for you and encourage you.

Verse for today

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13