You want it, you got it! E-100 Day 32 (1 Samuel 8-10)

I think I was in either 5th or 6th grade. One of my best friends, Steve Barnes, was going to be spending the night at my house. I didn't have too many friends spend the night, so it was a big deal when I did have someone over. We were ready to party! Steve got to be a part of our family's Friday Night Ritual: Go to Hollywood Video and rent 3 movies, then to Pizza Hut to pick up the 2 large pepperoni pizza's (for me, my brothers, and Steve) and 1 veggie pizza (for my mom and dad), then head home! Normally we would watch one or two of the movies on Friday night and save the other one for the next day. But tonight was special. All of the movies were ones that me and Steve picked out, and we were determined to watch all of them Friday night! Bear in mind that we would start watching the movies until T.G.I.F. was over on ABC. We had eaten our pizza, drank our soda, and watched the first movie. During that time, I had also been mixing my famous chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch (something my mom taught me how to do at 6 years old). I made a double batch even, so this big mixing bowl was filled! Steve and I brought the big bowl in the living room with us and two spoons! Everyone else was getting ready for bed, and we were allowed to stay up and watch the movies. My mom gave us a warning, however, "Don't eat too much of that dough, you'll get sick to your stomach."

We heard the warning. We understood the warning. But we were determined to eat a ton of cookie dough anyway. We ignored the warning. We paid for it in the morning. We were sick as dogs. We were determined to do what we wanted. Much like Israel in our reading today. They wanted a king. Samuel gave them this horrible warning of what would happen if they had a king, and their response was, "We want a king anyway!"

This totally challenged me to really stop and listen when people that are looking out for me try to give me advice or a warning. Hopefully, the next time we will actually stop, listen, and learn from what others might be trying to save us from. How about you? How are you at taking advice or warning? Are you rolling your eyes right now? Maybe it's time to sit up and listen. It might save you alot of trouble. Have a good one guys!

Ron Foster

A quick break 2 Corinthians 11:22-33

Have you ever had one of those moments where someone is complaining about their day, and you're thinking to yourself, "That's it? That's your problem? That's nothing!" There are times when I begin to feel like I've either accomplished everything myself, or that my problems are the worst ones around. In this passage, Paul had come across some people that felt that he wasn't justified to be the one to correct them or that he hadn't paid his dues as an apostle/preacher. Then Paul laid it all out. Let me summarize for you. So far in Paul's journey's he had:

Given a scourging (39 lashes with a cat of nine tails like Jesus had - 40 was a death sentence) 5 times!
Beaten with rods 3 times
Shipwrecked 3 times
Left adrift at sea once
Dragged outside the city and stoned one time
And the list when on!

After reading this, I was reminded of when I was in Bible College and there was a Pastor visiting from Russia. He was in his 60's. He began to share how many times he had been put into a prison camp for preaching the Gospel, and basically put it in perspective as to what real persecution is. Here I had thought that I had "endured" for Christ because I had sat at home on a Friday night or two missing out on the party, been called a name or two because I was in school to be a pastor.

I say all of that to say this: I have been challenged this week to be reminded of our mission as followers of Jesus Christ, and the lessons that He taught when He was here. Jesus said that if the world hates me, the world will hate you too. This is a hard lesson to swallow simply because no one wants to be hated. I want to be liked. But if I'm following Christ with all of myself, then there will be people that don't get it, and will actually try to hurt me physically, emotionally, or financially. And when that happens, I hope I can be like Paul, and brag about it! Have a good one guys.

Ron Foster

Come Again? E-100 Day 31 (1 Samuel 1-3)

From the reading today, focusing on chapter 3, we see Samuel as a boy living in the Temple. First of all, wow! How would you like to grow up living in the church building? Seems odd to us, but Samuel didn't seem to mind. Eli, the main priest is going blind and is relying on Samuel to help him and learn some of the duties of being a priest. It's night time, Samuel is asleep, and he hears his voice being called. The only one that would call him is Eli, so he runs in and reports. Eli tells Samuel to go back to bed, he didn't call him. It happens a second time, and again, Samuel is sent back to bed. It happens a third time and you gotta be thinking that Samuel is getting annoyed with Eli. Eli realizes someone is calling Samuel, so he gives instructions to answer back and that it's God calling him. Woah! What? God audibly calling someone! Ron, that doesn't happen! I don't believe this stuff! Well, before dismissing this altogether, ask yourself why you choose not to believe it. Is it because you've never expereienced it? I've never been to Antarctica, but I don't dismiss it as not existing just because I've never seen it or been there. Moving on, God gives Samuel a revelation about Eli's family (basically, his sons were corrupt people and were going to be punished). This is the story, but I want to challenge you with this. God still speaks to people and reveals Himself to people. I wonder when was the last time we got rid of the distractions and noise in our life to actually sit and listen and hear His voice? Why don't you try getting alone with Him today? Have a great day, guys!

Ron Foster

Boaz who? E-100 Day 30 (Ruth 1-4)

The Bible is full of characters that become the hero of the story and we get these pictures in our minds of how great they are or how athletic or strong or smart or cunning they are. In today's reading, I love how the hero of the story (Boaz) doesn't necessarily do anything heroic. He is just living his life trying to do the right things, and that makes him heroic! We see the huge lesson of loyalty and friendship from Ruth. We see the great story of trusting God to take care of us. But I love the story here from Boaz's perspective.

From his perspective, he just sees this drop dead hottie roaming his fields as they are going through for their harvest. He's a little older than her. She seems like she might be out of his league a little. He needs a way to get in good with her, so he tells his workers to purposefully leave behind extra food for her. It works. Eventually he gets her story. Finds out the proper way of going about marrying her and has to give some guy alot of money to do so (a crazy custom, if you want to know about it, leave a comment and I'll let you know). And marries her. Boaz was then given the title, "The kinsman redeemer". He was given this title because Ruth's husband who had passed away, was related to him. That made them "kin". He was able to "redeem" Ruth by marrying her as a part of this custom. He gave her a great life. He was heroic. He was her knight in shining armor. Boaz went about the whole process in an honorable and proper way.

Has there been anything happen in your life where you felt you were just living life, and someone made a big deal about what you were doing? Just think. You might be living your life the way that could honor God and it can be heroic! That's exciting! Have a great day guys!

Ron Foster

Struggles of a Man E-100 Day 29 (Judges 13-16)

A guy will do alot of things to get the girl. Sometimes they're great and noble things. Sometimes they're stupid and idiotic things. I heard of a guy in my school that was going to be proposing to his girlfriend. We were living in Springfield, MO at the time. He took his g/f to the St. Louis Arch. They went to the top. When they got to the top and were looking down, he said, "Hey, look down there. There are some people spelling something out with those big rocks." They both looked down to see several people putting stones in place. Once they were in place, it was clear that they were spelling out, "MARRY ME (the girls name that I forgot)". Once she read it, it really hadn't hit her that it was her name and as she backed away from the window, to look at her boyfriend, he was down on one knee. She was stunned and said yes! She thought they were just going for fun to see the Arch, when he had arranged for many of thier friends to be there arranging those rocks.

I also had a teenager in my youth ministry that loved God. He wanted everything to do with God and church and youth group. Then he met this girl that showed him some attention. She wanted nothing to do with God, church, or our youth group. When I talked with him about it, he wasn't putting the two together like they had anything to do with each other. He wasn't seeing that this new love interest would have any bearing on his love for God. He ignored my warnings. Eventually we saw this young man coming to youth group more sporadically. He began to back away and eventually stopped coming all together.

These are two examples of doing some very noble things and stupid things in order to get the girl. From our reading today, we see that Sampson, unfortunately, was one of those guys that made stupid decisions to get the girl. The first was with his wife (who did not follow God). At their own wedding, he caved in on giving up some information to her because she was nagging him and it cost him. Then later on in life, he's meeting up with Delilah (out of wedlock) and same thing happens with her nagging him, but because he would rather get the girl, he gives up himself.

Why do we do that? What is it that makes us so dumb sometimes? The power of a woman over a man is an incredible thing. What's more incredible is when a man gives control of his life not to a woman, but to Jesus Christ! Some incredible things can really start to happen when we do that, and when we've given the power of our lives to Jesus Christ, it protects us from giving it to a woman! Let's face it, we all fall prey to their charm. They're lovely. They're great. They're worth getting to know. But make sure to invest in the ones worth getting to know. Give your heart to God and He'll be the one to give you a great girl. Have a great day guys.

Ron Foster