Topic: Without Walls
A CITY WITHOUT WALLS
Pastor: John Neal
In our everyday life, we meet all types of people. Some rich, poor, male and female, black and white. All races of every kind, but the most important thing about a person is not his bank account, nor his standing in society, nor his expensive tailored clothing, nor how much education, physical attractiveness or fame. The bottom line is the most important characteristic about a person is his spirit or attitude.If a person has a bad attitude his successes and attributes lose their appeal, but a person who possesses a right spirit or a right attitude, people look at them in a different light. How many times have you heard someone say, “He’s such a nice person,” This shows a good spirit. One of the main things of a person’s life to guard is his spirit.“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32).A wise man once spoke those words, Solomon, King of Israel, the wisest man on earth.Cities of that day were known for their strongly fortified walls that offered great protection from the enemy. This statement may seem a little absurd at first, but with a little thought, the truth can be understood. The man that rules his spirit, the person who can control himself in critical times, is better than a mighty general that can overcome the fortress walls and take control of a city.“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” (Proverbs 25: 28).A city without walls, an unborn child, a war-ship without ammunition, these are all helpless at the onslaught of an enemy. A city without walls cannot keep the enemy out. An unborn child has no defense against the abortion laws, and a war-ship without ammunition is like a setting duck in the water, it has no defense against the enemy. In the character of men and women there are also areas that are weak, defenseless and flawed. When we see these things in our own-self we should immediately begin to fortify and strengthen the weak areas against certain attacks. For the enemy of our soul will surely come against us and probe until he finds an area within us that is weak, that has no defense.Samson was a man called of God; he was a man filling a great place among the people as judge, a man with tremendous ability, a man with the miraculous anointing power of God upon him. Yet, he was a man flawed of character.What was Samson’s flaw? He did not bring himself under control. His over reaction to some crises and his lack of action to help others showed he had not fortified himself against his weakest areas. Samson seemed to treat his calling and strength from God with a casualness amounting almost to contempt. Eventually he allowed Delilah to shave off his long hair, which was a sign of his dedication to God. Judges 16: 5-20.He did not defend himself against his moral weakness and soon he was robbed of both his spiritual and physical strength. Samson was raised by godly parents and was set apart and dedicated to God’s service from birth. But as a man he failed to carry out the noble plans for which God and his parents had intended him to follow.Samson’s great physical strength had been given to him of God. He was a Nazarite and was to drink no wine and not to cut his hair, to break his vow would bring him spiritual ruin.Among the last scenes of Samson’s life, we see a man who allowed a woman to be his down fall. His hair was cut, his strength gone, a man blinded by the enemy, grinding at the mill of the Philistines, while they ridiculed him (Judges 16: 21-25). He paid a tremendous price for not defending himself against the expected enemy of all that was valuable to him. Join us on our web-sight at Shining Light Apostolic and learn more of “Thus saith the Lord.” May God bless and keep you.
