We can learn a lot from the life of David. He was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:13–14; Acts 13:22)! We are first introduced to David after Saul, at the insistence of the people, was made king (1 Samuel 8:5, 10:1). Saul did not measure up as God’s king. While King Saul was making one mistake on top of another, God sent Samuel to find His chosen shepherd, David, the son of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10, 13).

David is believed to have been twelve to sixteen years of age when he was anointed as the king of Israel. He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and an unlikely choice for king, humanly speaking. Samuel thought Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was surely the anointed one. But God told Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Seven of Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel, but God had chosen none of them. Samuel asked if Jesse had any more sons. The youngest, David, was out tending sheep. So they called the boy in and Samuel anointed David with oil "and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David" (1 Samuel 16:13).

The Bible also says that the Spirit of the Lord departed from King Saul and an evil spirit tormented him (1 Samuel 16:14). Saul’s servants suggested a harpist, and one recommended David, saying, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him" (1 Samuel 16:18). Thus, David came into the king’s service (1 Samuel 16:21). Saul was pleased with young David, and he became one of Saul’s armor-bearers.

Saul’s pleasure in David vanished quickly as David rose in strength and fame. In perhaps one of the best known biblical accounts, David slew the giant Goliath. The Philistines were at war with the Israelites and taunted Israel’s military forces with their champion, Goliath from Gath. They proposed a dual between Goliath and whoever would fight him. But no one in Israel volunteered to battle the giant. David’s older brothers were part of Saul’s army; after Goliath had been taunting the Israelites for forty days, David visited his brothers at the battlefield and heard the Philistine’s boasts. The young shepherd asked, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26). David’s oldest brother became angry and accused David of pride and coming only to watch the battle. But David continued to talk about the issue.

Saul heard what David was saying and sent for him. David told Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him" (1 Samuel 17:32). Saul was incredulous; David was not a trained soldier. David provided his credentials as a shepherd, being careful to give the glory to God. David had killed lions and bears that went after his sheep, and he claimed the Philistine would die like them because he had "defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:36–37). Saul acquiesced, provided that David wear Saul’s armor into the fight. But David was not used to the armor and left it behind. David took with him only his staff, five smooth stones, his shepherd’s bag, and a sling. Goliath was not intimidated by David, but neither was David intimidated by the giant. "David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands" (1 Samuel 17:45–46). David’s trust in God and his zeal for God’s glory are remarkable. David did kill Goliath. He also entered into Saul’s service full-time, no longer tending his father’s sheep.

It was at this time that Saul’s son, Jonathan, "became one in spirit with David" (1 Samuel 18:1). David and Jonathan’s friendship is instructive to friendships today. Though his father was king and Jonathan would have been a natural heir to the throne, Jonathan chose to support David. He understood and accepted God’s plan and protected his friend from his murderous father (1 Samuel 18:1–4, 19—20). Jonathan demonstrates humility and selfless love (1 Samuel 18:3; 20:17). During David’s reign, after Saul’s and Jonathan’s deaths, David sought out anyone who remained of the house of Saul to whom he could show kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1). Clearly, both men greatly cared for one another and honored one another.

After the incident with Goliath, David continued to grow in fame. The chant in the camp of Saul was taunting as the people sang out the praises of David and demeaned King Saul, causing a raging jealousy in Saul that never subsided (1 Samuel 18:7–8).

Saul’s jealousy of David turned murderous. He first tried to have David killed by the hand of the Philistines by asking David to become his son-in-law. The king offered his daughter in return for David’s military service. David, in humility, refused, and Saul’s daughter was given to another (1 Samuel 18:17–19). Saul’s other daughter, Michal, was in love with David, so Saul asked again. David again refused due to his lack of wealth and inability to afford the bride price for the daughter of a king. Saul asked for a hundred Philistine foreskins, hoping David would be slaughtered by the enemy. When David killed two hundred Philistines, doubling the required payment, Saul realized he was outmatched, and his fear of David increased (1 Samuel 18:17–29). Jonathan and Michal warned David of their father’s murderous intent, and David spent the next years of his life fleeing from the king. David wrote several songs during this time, including Psalms 57, 59, and 142.

Although Saul never stopped pursuing him with the intent to kill him, David never raised a hand against his king and God’s anointed (1 Samuel 19:1–2; 24:5–7). When Saul eventually died, David mourned (2 Samuel 1). Even knowing that he was God’s anointed, David did not force his way to the throne. He respected God’s sovereignty and honored the authorities God had currently in place, trusting that God would fulfill His will in His timing.

While on the run, David raised up a mighty army and with power from God defeated everyone in his path, always asking God first for permission and instructions before going into battle, a practice he would continue as king (1 Samuel 23:2–6; 9–13; 2 Samuel 5:22-23). Once king, David remained a powerful military commander and soldier. Second Samuel 23 recounts some of the exploits of David’s so-called "mighty men." God honored and rewarded David’s obedience and gave him success in everything he did (2 Samuel 8:6).

David began to take other wives. He married Abigail, a widow of Carmel, during the time he was fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 25). David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Saul had given David’s first wife, Michal, to another man (1 Samuel 25:43–44). After Saul’s death David was publicly anointed king over the house of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4), and he then had to fight against the house of Saul before being anointed king over all of Israel at the age of thirty (2 Samuel 5:3–4). Now king, David took Michal back to be his wife again (2 Samuel 3:14). David also conquered Jerusalem, taking it from the Jebusites, and became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him (2 Samuel 5:7).

The Ark of the Covenant had been previously captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). Upon its return to Israel, the ark was housed at Kiriath Jearim (1 Samuel 7:1). David wanted to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. But David omitted some of God’s instructions on how to transport the ark and who was to carry it. This resulted in the death of Uzzah who, amid all the celebrations, reached out to steady the ark with his hand. God struck Uzzah down, and he died there beside the ark (2 Samuel 6:1–7). In fear of the Lord, David abandoned the moving of the ark and let it rest in the house of Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:11).

Three months later, David resumed the plan to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This time, he followed instructions. He also "dance[ed] before the LORD with all his might" (2 Samuel 6:14). When Michal saw David worshiping in that way, "she despised him in her heart" (2 Samuel 6:16). She asked David how he, as king, could have acted so undistinguished in front of his people. "David said to Michal, 'It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes" (2 Samuel 6:21–22). David understood that true worship is intended for God alone. We do not worship for the benefit of the perceptions of others but in humble response to God (John 4:24).

After David was settled in his palace and had peace with his enemies, he wanted to build a temple for the Lord (2 Samuel 7:1–2). The prophet Nathan first told David to do as he wanted. But then God told Nathan that David would not be the one to build His temple. Instead, God promised to build a house for David. This promise included a prediction that Solomon would build the temple. But it also spoke of the coming Messiah, the Son of David who would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:4–17). David responded in humility and awe: "Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18; see 2 Samuel 7:18–29 for David’s entire prayer). Before he died, David made preparations for the temple. God’s reason for not allowing David to build the temple was that he had shed so much blood, but David’s son would be a man of peace and not a man of war. Solomon would build the temple (1 Chronicles 22).

Much of David’s shedding of blood had been a result of war. But, in a sordid incident, David also had one of his mighty men killed. Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was also human and sinful. While his armies were at war one spring, David remained home. From his rooftop he saw a beautiful woman bathing. He found out that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his mighty men who was at war, and David sent messengers for her. David slept with Bathsheba, and she became pregnant. David called Uriah back from battle, hoping he would sleep with his wife and believe the child to be his, but Uriah refused to go home while his comrades were at war. So David arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle. David then married Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). This incident in David’s life shows us that everyone, even those we highly esteem, struggle with sin. It also serves as a cautionary tale about temptation and the way sin can so quickly multiply.

The prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba. David responded in repentance. He wrote Psalm 51 at this time. Here we see David’s humility and his true heart for the Lord. Though Nathan told David that his son would die as a result of his sin, David pleaded with the Lord for his son’s life. David’s relationship with God was such that he was willing to persist in faith and to hope that God might relent. When God enacted His judgment, David accepted it completely (2 Samuel 12). In this story we also see God’s grace and sovereignty. Solomon, David’s son who succeeded him and through whom Jesus descended, was born of David and Bathsheba.

God had also told David, through Nathan, that the sword would not depart from his house. Indeed, David’s household had much trouble from that time on. We see this among David’s children when Amnon raped Tamar, leading to Absalom’s murder of Amnon, and Absalom’s conspiracy against David. Nathan had also told David that his wives would be given to one who was close to him; this would not occur in secret as had David’s sin with Bathsheba, but in public. The prophecy was fulfilled when Absalom slept with his father’s concubines on the roof for all to see (2 Samuel 16).

David is the author of many of the psalms. In them we see the way he sought after and glorified God. He is often thought of as a shepherd king and a warrior poet. Scripture calls him “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1). David’s life seemed filled with the range of human emotions—a common shepherd boy with great confidence in God’s faithfulness who honored authorities, fled for his life, and became the king against whom all future kings of Israel would be measured. He saw many military victories. He also fell into grave sin, and his family suffered as a result. But through it all David turned to God and trusted Him. Even in the Psalms when David is downcast or despondent, we see him lift his eyes up to his Maker and give Him praise. This reliance on God and continual pursuit of relationship with God is part of what makes David a man after God’s own heart.

God promised David a descendant to rule on the throne forever. That everlasting king is Jesus, the Messiah and Son of David.

Trey Knowles' "No Weapon" is a powerful piece inspired by Isaiah 54:17, emphasizing resilience and faith. It conveys the message that no weapon formed against believers will prosper, and encourages listeners to stand firm in their spiritual journey.

 No Weapon  

by Trey Knowles

Truth & Knowledge

This is one of the more exciting and curious books in the Bible. The story is set over 100 years after the Babylonian exile of the Israelites from their land. While some Jews did return to Jerusalem (see Ezra-Nehemiah), many did not. The Book of Esther is about a Jewish community living in Susa, the capital city of the ancient Persian empire. The main characters are two Jews, Mordecai and his niece Esther. Then there is the king of Persia and the Persian official Haman, the cunning villain.

Esther is a curious book in the Bible because God is never mentioned. This may strike you as odd because the Bible is supposed to be a book about God. However, this is a brilliant technique by the anonymous author. It’s an invitation to read the story looking for God’s activity, and there are signs of it everywhere. The story is full of odd coincidences and ironic reversals that force you to see God’s purpose at work behind every scene. Watch Esther's story down below.

The story invites us to see that God can and does work in human history's mess and moral ambiguity, using the faithfulness of even morally compromised people to accomplish his purposes.

The Book of Esther asks us to trust in God’s providence even when we can’t see it working. That requires a posture of hope, to believe that, no matter how horrible things get, God is committed to redeeming his good world and overcoming evil. That’s what Esther's story is all about.

Movie Watch Below after skipping Ad: Esther The Bible Story

Watch This. Take no other Gospel but to repent and come out of sin, for the Lord Jesus saves us from death to life. Watch this, Why do you think they or the system want to persecute or influence you with evil? Jesus is the way to life. Righteousness is in faith, but grace and mercy are a treat to the world's principalities, and sharing it will put you on the FBI list.

Watch This: The similarities of today's John The Baptist. Compare and Contrast Pharisees and Sadducees to Republicans and Democrats.

Fear not and share the Gospel of Christ.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Watch This

by Trey Knowles

Key Verses of the Book of Ruth

 Ruth 1:16, "But Ruth replied, 'don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'"

Ruth 3:9, "'Who are you?' he asked. 'I am your servant Ruth,' she said. ’spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.'"

Ruth 4:17, "The women living there said, 'Naomi has a son.' And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."

Brief Summary: The setting for the Book of Ruth begins in the heathen country of Moab, a region northeast of the Dead Sea, but then moves to Bethlehem. This true account takes place during the dismal days of failure and rebellion of the Israelites, called the period of the Judges. A famine forces Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, from their Israelite home to the country of Moab. Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her two sons, who soon marry two Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth. Later both of the sons die, and Naomi is left alone with Orpah and Ruth in a strange land. Orpah returns to her parents, but Ruth determines to stay with Naomi as they journey to Bethlehem. This story of love and devotion tells of Ruth’s eventual marriage to a wealthy man named Boaz, by whom she bears a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of David and the ancestor of Jesus. Obedience brings Ruth into the privileged lineage of Christ.

Foreshadowings: A major theme of the Book of Ruth is that of the kinsman-redeemer. Boaz, a relative of Naomi on her husband’s side, acted upon his duty as outlined in the Mosaic Law to redeem an impoverished relative from his or her circumstances (Lev. 25:47-49). This scenario is repeated by Christ, who redeems us, the spiritually impoverished, from the slavery of sin. Our heavenly Father sent His own Son to the cross so that we might become children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ. By being our Redeemer, He makes us His kinsmen.

Practical Application: The sovereignty of our great God is clearly seen in the story of Ruth. He guided her every step of the way to become His child and fulfill His plan for her to become an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). In the same way, we have assurance that God has a plan for each of us. Just as Naomi and Ruth trusted Him to provide for them, so should we.

We see in Ruth an example of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. In addition to being devoted to her family (Ruth 1:15-18; Proverbs 31:10-12) and faithfully dependent upon God (Ruth 2:12; Proverbs 31:30), we see in Ruth a woman of godly speech. Her words are loving, kind and respectful, both to Naomi and to Boaz. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 “opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness” (v. 26). We could search far and wide to find a woman today as worthy of being our role model as Ruth.

If you are not voting for a president like Josiah, What are you voting for? It is written in 2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Remember this before you vote. Let's learn something from the story Josiah.

 2 Kings 23 Josiah Renews the Covenant

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord.  The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.  He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.  He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.  He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.  Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek.  He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon. 14 Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.

Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”

The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

“Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

 Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.”

As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.  Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died. Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.

Jehoiakim King of Judah

 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.  And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

A disciple is a dedicated follower of Jesus who believes in him as their Lord and Savior and strives to live more like him. Striving to live more like Jesus is the main point of Hot or Cold. The Gospel is not about gaining money and material possessions it is about the spirit of God.

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31 But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint

Note: Stop trying to do everything in our strength. Let the Lord's strength renew us. This takes faith.

2 Corinthians 4:1

Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

2 Corinthians 4:8

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Truth & Knowledge: Episode 73 – “The Vision of Jesus” In this episode, Trey Knowles shares a powerful message: “I am just a Black man, but that is not my race. My race is not a color—it is a seed. That seed is the will of God. I do not speak for a color of people, but to the fatherless—to those who do not know God and remain trapped in sin.” Before beginning, Trey makes it clear: If you speak of colonial religion or the European way, understand this—a house divided against itself cannot stand. You cannot claim the name of Jesus if you do not walk in His Spirit or live according to His example. As Jesus said in Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” This is not about colonial religion or cultural divisions. Our true brothers and sisters are those who do the will of our Father in heaven—that is our chosen race. We are not confused or brainwashed, for Scripture declares in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Who Are My Brothers and Sisters? In Matthew 12:46–50, Jesus redefines family, saying: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? ... Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Our spiritual family is not determined by bloodline or color, but by obedience to God’s will. The Vision of the Son of Man Jesus may have had features described as black, yet this is not the focus—the revelation is in His glory. In Revelation 1:9–20, John describes his vision of Christ: His hair was white like wool, His eyes like fire. His feet shone like bronze glowing in a furnace. His voice thundered like rushing waters. In His hand were seven stars, and His face shone like the sun. Christ revealed Himself as eternal—the First and the Last—the Living One who conquered death and holds the keys of Hades. The Seven Churches and the Body of Christ Trey explains that the seven churches mentioned in Revelation symbolize the seven continents—the fullness of humanity united as the Body of Christ. The seven angels represent God’s glory reflected across the earth. God’s love shines upon every individual, in every nation. As Colossians 3:11 declares: “In this new life, there is no difference between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, foreigner or free. Christ is all, and Christ is in all.” Unity and Diversity in the Body 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 reminds us that although we are many parts, we form one body in Christ. Each member—no matter how different—is vital to the whole. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” God has arranged His church—apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, and interpreters—so that all may serve together in unity. We are the living body of Christ on earth. Let there be no division among us, but equal care and love for one another.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” -1 John 1:7

Samson lived in the land that God had given to the Israelites. But there were still other people who either inhabited the land or attacked the Israelites. God used men (and one woman) called Judges to lead and protect the people of Israel during this time before they had a king.

One of these judges was Samson. Though we probably think of Samson as being a wicked man, God still used Samson to accomplish His purposes.

This story is from Judges chapters 13 through 16.

Chosen From Birth

God had planned a special life for Samson. God visited Samson’s parents through an angel to tell them that Samson would be a Nazarite from birth. The vow of a Nazarite was typically for a set period of time and was voluntary. Yet, in Samson’s case, he was to be a Nazarite all his life and it was a calling by God, not a choice that Samson made personally.

This special vow put restrictions on his life. This included the food that Samson was to eat, that he was not to cut his hair with a razor, nor to be near a dead body. In exchange for these limitations, God endowed Samson with exceptional strength. Sadly, Samson violated all these restrictions during his life which brought him to a tragic end.

Truth & Knowledge: Episode 72 – “Jesus Is The Son of God” In this episode, Trey Knowles delves into God’s Final Word — His Son, drawing from Hebrews 1 and other key scriptures to reveal Jesus’ divine identity and supreme authority. God Speaks Through His Son In the past, God communicated through prophets, but now He has spoken fully through His Son — the heir of all things and the One through whom the universe was made. Jesus reflects the very glory and nature of God, sustaining all creation by His powerful word. After accomplishing the purification of sins, He took His rightful place at the right hand of God in heaven, exalted above the angels. The Son’s Superiority to Angels Scripture distinguishes the Son from the angels. God never called an angel His Son or invited one to sit at His right hand. Instead, He commands the angels to worship Jesus, affirming His eternal throne and divine rule. The heavens and the earth will fade, but the Son remains unchanged — eternal and sovereign. Jesus Reveals the Father Jesus Himself declared, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). His words and works are those of the Father living within Him. As He stated, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), confirming His divine unity with God. Creator and Sustainer of All Things Colossians 1:16 proclaims that all things — visible and invisible — were created through and for Christ. He is not merely a messenger but the Creator and purpose of all existence. The Way, the Truth, and the Life Jesus declared in John 14:6 that He alone is the way to the Father — the truth and the life. No one can come to God apart from Him. Eternal and Almighty Finally, in Revelation 1:8, Jesus identifies Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega… who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Through these truths, Trey Knowles emphasizes that Jesus is not simply a prophet or teacher but the eternal Son of God — the full revelation of God’s glory, authority, and love.