Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died (Judges 4:1).

This is the common refrain throughout the Book of Judges. After the God-appointed judge died, "the sons of Israel again did evil." This would last until the next judge came to deliver them from God's judgment and lead them back to the LORD. Over time, with each fall and recovery, judgment and deliverance, the people grew only worse and worse. 

Friends, may I suggest that one reason for this constantly recurring cycle of disobedience was the lack of continuity in godly leadership? The people were only faithful to the LORD as long as the God-appointed judge was leading them. When that leadership was gone, the people again went astray. 

How important, then, is it for us to find and equip godly leaders to replace us in our families, in our ministries, and in our work?! Jesus found and equipped twelve apostles to carry on His work. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church they founded (Acts 14;23), even returning to them to evaluate and strengthen them (Acts 15:36). In Jesus' final charge to His apostles, He commanded them to "Make disciples..." (Matthew 28:18). Paul commanded Timothy to find and equip reliable leaders, who would be qualified to do the same (2 Timothy 2:2).

In March of 2016 I started a TaeKwonDo program called "Train the Trainers" in Dallas, Texas at First Baptist Church of Dallas. From the very outset, finding and equipping godly leaders was my goal. After two years, God gave me over thirty such leaders to help me lead nearly a hundred students. Recently, God has taken one of these leaders to lead his own group of thirty in Carrollton at Freedom Church. Of that group, God provided ten leaders to assist him. I testify that without God's favor and wisdom to be intentional about training leaders from the start, we could not have built up and sustained such a vibrant TaeKwonDo ministry to this day. 

Therefore, dear friends, let us learn from the wisdom of Scripture as we serve the Lord in our families, in our ministries, and in our work. Let us always be intentional about finding and equipping leaders to carry on the good work that God gives us to do today. Don't wait till it's too late, and it's never too early to be making disciples. 

After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel (Judges 3:31).

“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted,
And travelers went by roundabout ways (Judges 5:6).

(possible appearance of ox goad)

Shamgar is mentioned these two times and only these two times in the entire Bible. We know very little about him, except that he was one of the judges of Israel, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.

Now, the second reference above reveals the social conditions that existed in the time of Shamgar. We learn that the highways were deserted and travelers had to find backroutes to get to where they were going.

Now, why would the highways, the traditional thoroughfare for travel, be deserted? Unless Israel's enemies, like the Philistines, had groups set up all around the major highways to ambush the Israelite travelers. Perhaps this is how Shamgar did a service for Israel, even by clearing the highways of trouble and danger. 

It is always assumed that Shamgar killed the six hundred Philistines at one time and in one place; however, the text does not say that and so this may not be a correct assumption. He could have struck down numerous small groups of them that were positioned at different points along the highways. And the total number of Philistines in these groups may have come to six hundred. This would not take anything away from the great deliverance by God through Shamgar; however, it might suggest there was planning and strategy involved, as was the case it seems of the deliverance by the other judges of Israel. 

Is there a possible application here? Perhaps. I have heard it sometimes preached that believers should seek only what God could do and to gain only what God could give. This, presumably, is living the "supernatural" life. I believe this is simply a preacher's attempt at rhetorical flourish without any basis in Scripture. While there are instances of God prompting displays of power and the miraculous, this is by no means the norm. Even in biblical practice it was normal to think, to plan, to prepare, to strategize and to diligently execute. In fact, it appears God is more interested in those that trust and follow Him apart from any supernatural displays:

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

Friends, it is good and right to live by faith (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7 "We walk by faith not by sight"); however, this does not mean that we must always live in the "supernatural," expecting miracles to happen all around us. In fact, it may mean just the opposite. Even when there are no miraculous proofs of God's Presence, we ought to still trust in Him and obey His Word. Remember, it was the wicked and unbelieving Jews that demanded more and more signs from Jesus, but Jesus told them, 

A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! (Matthew 12:39; 16:4)

God has already made Himself known to us through both general (i.e. nature) and special (i.e. the Bible) revelation. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the Bible says that if people are unwilling to believe the Scriptures, even a supernatural miracle, like someone rising from the dead, will not convince them:

‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31).

So, friends, why are some of you so intent on paying money to go all the way to Kansas City to mindlessly pray for hours and days and to receive some prophecy from stangers? Are you not doing just what Jesus tells us not to do? With respect to prayer, Jesus says,

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:7-8).

And when you go to the self-proclaimed prophets at IHOP, don't you know that this is just like going to a fortune teller? They are no more accurate in their predictions, and at best they might give you a word of encouragement under the false pretense of prophecying. 

Don't you know that these are the very kinds of false prophets Jesus warned believers against? They emphasize experience and displays of power, but they lack the fruit of true doctrine:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:15-23).

When you go into the prayer assemblies at IHOP and see people convulsing on the floor and making unusual animal sounds, can't you see that these are not the evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence but rather of pagan rituals inspired by demons? For as the Bible teaches, 

"God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:32).

The Scriptures never give any examples of the Holy Spirit prompting the kind of aberrant, uncontrolled behavior, as regularly seen at IHOP and encouraged by people like Mike Bickle. These displays more closely parallel demon possession than it does the filling and empowering by the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, friends, be watchful and diligent to hold fast to God's Word. I see many today that would encourage you to disengage your minds and just trust your feelings, which is completely opposite what Scripture teaches. Transformation begins and is led by the "renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2), not by our feelings. 

Don't be misled by those that try to overly personalize their relationship to the Father, calling him "daddy" and "pappa," something that is based on a misunderstanding of the original text, which even the man responsible for first propagating this address has confessed. Such an address is never supported in Scripture. What is more, do not casually ask each other, "What did God tell you, today?" as if God speaks to you directly, as a man speaks to his friend, which, even in Scripture, was the exclusive provenance of a select few. When you make such claims, don't think that you will not be held accountable, for Jesus clearly says that people will be held accountable for every idle word:

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Rather than foolishly claim that God said this or that to you, when it is more than likely your own thoughts, is it not better to just quote the relevant Scripture and know for sure that it is from the Lord?! I earnestly call my friends, who are doing these things, to come to their senses. I see that they are finding confidence in what they do by supporting each other in their wrong practices. 

The wife of a well-respected pastor told me recently that those that she knows, who are caught up in IHOP, can't get out. They are so brainwashed in their thinking that it would take an act of God to deliver them from their delusion. So, for some of you, I pray for an act of God.

Dear brothers and sisters!
 
I would like to talk about the Israel's second judge, Ehud, who God used as His instrument to deliver Israel from the oppression of Moab.  What caught my attention was that the text keeps mentioning about him being left-handed.  According to research that I did, literal meaning of hebrew for "being left-handed" here is "a man restricted as to his right hand."  So there is a possibility that Ehud may not have been able to use his right hand.  If you continue to read how he brought victory over to his country, you come across how he assassinated the Moabite king, Eglon.  Ehud's lie left him and the king alone in the room, which was almost impossible unless the king saw any possible harm on himself from Ehud who may have looked  physically incapable of doing what he was going to do to him.  Since the Bible doesn't specifically say anything about Ehud's physical condition other than being left-handed or restricted as to his right hand, what was said above might be still a conjecture but I believe that God uses our weakness to bring glory to Himself and mercy to His loved ones.  He is strong in our weaknesses!!
 
I see God's mercy poured upon His rebellious children.  The deliverance from their oppressors didn't come from their merit but from God's compassion and mercy on His helpless children.  Our salvation as Gentiles didn't come from our innate goodness or arbitrary chance but from His sovereign plan.  His chosen people's rebellion was from their own disobedience but at the same time was ordained by God so that we could be grafted into Him.  I can't help but to be amazed at His being God who is omniscient and omnipotent!!  There is truly none like Our God.  This world has been trying to find some one or some thing like Him through man-made religions, science, or philosophies but to no avail.  Let us proclaim boldly that God has announced His salvation through His Son!
 

In ch 3 we read ehud was raised by God then ultimately frees israel by killing the king. I always thought even in the OT it was wrong to rebel against your authority, this man was not even a perezit,jebusite,caananit,ect. God approved, he had success,but...?

Yujin commented...The key here is that "the LORD raised up" Ehud (Judges 3:15) against the idolatrous king of Moab, who only reigned over Israel at the time because of Israel's disobedience. Even in the NT Peter and John defy the religious and political authorities of Israel in preaching the Gospel, saying, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Ehud was obeying God in killing Eglon, the king of Moab.