SEXUAL PURITY PART FIVE
June 8, 2021
Words are tremendously powerful. In fact, Proverbs 18:21 says, “The power of life and death is in the tongue.”
Words spoken over a person’s life has the ability to direct him—drawing him into a good and wise direction or an evil direction. It can build a person up or destroy him. If one sits under godly parents who faithfully teach God’s Word and attend a good church that teaches the Truth, the “power of the tongue” will help direct him into what is good. But if one sits under ungodly teaching and ungodly conversations, it will affect his life negatively. This is especially true when it comes to sexual immorality.
Adrian Rogers had a quote that fits right in, he was quoting a famous football legend that is a great Christian who does a lot of prison ministry. The quote was made while in a prison speaking to about 100 men. “How many of you did your father say you would probably end up in jail.” The majority of the men raised their hands.
No doubt, one of Satan’s greatest tactics is to influence people sexually through the music industry. Much of today’s songs are full of sexual overtones and graphic language. Some of it is essentially lyrical pornography—meant to control and guide people away from God and into sexual strongholds.
Sadly, many Christians fall prey to this tactic of the devil. They listen to ungodly, sexually charged music all day, then wonder why they can’t control their lust and don’t desire to read the Bible. The tongue is directing their lives—leading them away from God into lusts.
Psalm 1:1 says this: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (ESV). Some have called this the pathway of depravity. A person starts off listening to the “counsel” of the wicked, then he is standing in the way of sinners—practicing the same thing sinners do, and then they are in the seat of scoffers. Biblically, “scoffer” or “fool” is used of those who mock holy things. Psalm 14:1 says the fool says in his heart that there is no God. First, these people were just listening. Maybe like some Christians who listen to ungodly music, they say, “I only like it because of the beat; I don’t even listen to the lyrics.” The next thing you know, they are practicing sin, and one day they are mocking God and the practice of holiness. Satan led these poor souls astray by simply getting a hold of their ears.
In the same way, many raised in Christian homes with godly morals, such as waiting to have sex until marriage, are now sexually promiscuous just like the world. And it all started with the wrong counsel—sexually charged musical lyrics, sexual dialogue from movies, and sexually flirtatious conversations. Now, instead of following God, they mock what is holy and practice the sexual ethics of the world.
Who is speaking into your ears, and what are they saying? Are your conversations with friends full of sexual jokes and innuendo? Are your TV shows and movies promoting casual sex? If so, you won’t be able to remain pure.
Paul said this in Ephesians 5:3: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
He said that there should not even be a “hint” of sexual immorality in our lives. Many desire to be pure but their mouths and the mouths of those they listen to are full of sexual hints that eventually bear fruit in their lives.
Are you guarding your ears? Satan keeps many Christians in bondage to lust by flooding their ears with sexual garbage.
Lord, help us to take out the garbage so we can be clean.
Reflection
In what ways does the enemy flood sexual temptation into our ears?
How have you seen or experienced the power of words, especially sexual words, in guiding one’s life?
How is God calling you to better guard your ears?
What other questions or thoughts do you have about this section?
In what ways can you pray in response? Take a second to pray as the Lord leads.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Remember our prayer list.
Caliste Burt, brain surgery in September
Continue please to keep my wife in prayer, her spinal surgery is this Friday and she is in great pain. Surgery time has been moved up to 10am.
Bill Warneke, chronic pain and depression
Steve H, encouragement, strength, vitality, guidance in finding a new church pastor. Keep his wife Pam in prayer, chronic knee pain.
SEXUAL PURITY PART 4
June 7, 2021
The next strategy in our battle for purity is guarding our eyes. Jesus said this, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23).
What did Christ mean by the whole body being filled with light or darkness based on one’s eye? In Scripture, light typically refers to what is righteous, good, and true, and darkness refers to what is evil, bad, and perverse (cf. Ephesians 5:9). To have a good eye means for a person to continually view what is godly, and therefore, a bad eye refers to continually viewing what is ungodly. Though the context of this passage is riches, it can refer to being filled with anything that is good or bad.
The eyes are a doorway to the mind and whatever one’s mind continually thinks upon, a person will eventually do. If a person is going to be pure, he must be intentional about guarding his eyes. This will affect the types of movies watched, books read, and Internet sites visited. It will also affect how one looks at the opposite sex. For many, when they view the opposite sex, it is hard to not view them from a sexual standpoint. Their eyes continually trigger lustful thoughts and intentions, and if not combated, these eventually trigger lustful actions.
When a person views what is good or evil, it begins to “fill” them. To be filled means to be controlled by. In Ephesians 5:18, believers are called to be filled with the Spirit—controlled by it. When one is full of darkness, it means they are controlled by evil. In reference to lust, a person’s lust can become out of control, even leading to tragic acts such as sexual harassment, rape, molestation, etc.
Sexual abuse statistics are frightening! One out of three American women will be sexually abused during their lifetime. One out of four women and one out of six men will be sexually assaulted by the age of eighteen.i Four out of five sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.ii Why is sexual abuse so pervasive and overwhelming? No doubt, it in part has to do with the increased access to erotic material in books, on TV, and on the Internet. The result of people viewing these materials is that eventually they can’t control themselves—they are filled and controlled by the darkness their eyes continually engage in.
Conversely, a person whose eyes are continually engaging with the Word of God and godly things will be controlled by them. Fruits of the Spirit will be born in their lives—love, joy, peace, and self-control.
What are you filled with? Are you filling yourself with light which creates righteousness or darkness which creates uncontrollable, evil urges?
how can we practically guard our eyes?
Bouncing Our Eyes
Let’s consider what Job said about disciplining his eyes. In Job 31:1, he said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” In order to remain pure, Job guarded his eyes from looking at a woman lustfully. This was his continual discipline.
Some have called this “bouncing” one’s eyes. When seeing an attractive female, instead of cultivating lustful thoughts and intentions, a man quickly bounces his eyes to something else. When seeing seductive images on the TV or the Internet, instead of taking a second look, one bounces his eyes by turning the channel or closing the webpage. I had a professor in seminary who used to say; “the first look is free, the second look is sin, so make the first look fast.”
I remember one time in seminary seeing a young lady who was very attractive. I closed my eyes and prayed to God: “Lord, that woman is sooooo attractive—she will never get a second look from these eyes.” This was the type of discipline Job implemented, and it is the type of discipline we must implement as well if we are going be pure. Remember Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “learn” how to control their bodies in a way that is holy and honorable (1 Thess 4:4). No doubt, “bouncing” their eyes in a sexually charged culture was one of those disciplines.
How else can we guard our eyes?
Praying Over Our Eyes
Another discipline we should practice is prayer. David, a man who struggled with lust and pornography, often prayed over his eyes. In Psalm 119:37, he prayed this: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”
He prayed for God to turn his eyes from the darkness of what is worthless to the light of God’s Word. Whatever we practice becomes a habit. If we’ve practiced sizing up members of the opposite sex and looking at alluring images, then we will need even more grace to break those habits. Prayer is one of the ways that God changes our eyes from being dark to light.
Lord, turn our eyes from what is worthless to what is good.
Reflection
Why is it so hard to guard our eyes in this culture?
How is your struggle with your eyes? In what ways is God calling you to better guard them?
What other questions or thoughts do you have about this section?
In what ways can you pray in response? Take a second to pray as the Lord leads.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Pray for Gwen, we were praying for a financial blessing and she got one, 52k a month for the rest of her life. Not the lottery, a great trust.
Pray for Caliste Burt, upcoming brain surgery, anxiety is weighing heavy on the family
Pray of Bill Warneke, depression and chronic pain
Pray for Paul K, depression
Remember Steve H, health and strength, guidance in finding a new pastor and healing for his wife Pam’s knees.
Remember my wife Sharon, spinal surgery this Friday at 830am, she is in tremendous pain right now.
sexual purity part III
June 5, 2021
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
SEXUAL PURITY PART THREE
The next strategy in God’s Battle Plan for purity is identifying sexual temptations and being ruthless in getting rid of them. Listen to what Christ said in the context of teaching on adultery:
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Matthew 5:29-30
After teaching that a man who lusts after a woman who is not his wife has already committed adultery in his heart (v. 27-28), Christ says that one should be violent in removing temptations towards sexual sin.
The plucking out of one’s eye and cutting off one’s hand are hyperbole or symbolism for war time tactics. In ancient wars, when an army conquered another, they would at times pluck out the eyes and cut off the hands of the conquered so that they would never rise up and fight them again. This cruel tactic was used on Samson. When the Philistines defeated him, they blinded him with the intent of disabling him from ever harming them again (Judges 16:21).
By using this hyperbole, Christ shares how we must similarly declare war in order to be pure. He shows us how severely we must deal with sexual temptations. If our eyes—what we look at—are causing us to lust, we must get rid of it. If our hands—what we do—are causing us to sin, we must cut it out of our life.
The eye and the hand represent things dear to us—things that may seem essential for life. However, even these must not be spared in our efforts to be holy and pure. Is an intimate relationship tempting us? It must be severed. Is it our reading or TV watching? Let us discard it. We must be violent in our task of remaining pure and holy.
This violence will be demonstrated in various ways. I have had friends get rid of their TVs in order to be holy. Personally, as a seminary student and youth pastor, I wouldn’t own the Internet at home because I wanted to protect myself from temptation. I would only use it at work or school. I even had to end relationships that went too far physically to protect the person and myself, but most importantly, to honor God.
With this said, we can understand why many cannot remain pure. The reason is simple. They just don’t hate their sin enough. Purity is not a big enough priority to get rid of things that are dear to them. They love their eye and their hand too much. Friendships, TV shows, a dating relationship, the convenience of the Internet, etc., are too much to part with in their quest to be holy.
If we are going to win the battle against lust, we must declare war on it. Are you willing to go to war in order to be pure? For those who have opened sexual doors, this battle may be especially difficult and costly. But God will help as you are faithful.
I have no Tv service, haven’t for almost 30 years. One it’s a huge waste of time, to it pollutes your mind. I only read good books, yes, I do real mystery novels, but again. Clean. I only listen to full time Christian Radio, BBN radio, it is the best Christian radio station in the world. Listen to it on the internet or the app or see if it plays in your area.
Reflection
What types of cherished things commonly hinder a believer’s quest for sexual purity? Why is it often so hard to let go of these things?
What things have you had to cut out of your life in order to be pure? Are there any things God is calling you to let go of currently?
What other questions or thoughts do you have about this section?
In what ways can you pray in response? Take a second to pray as the Lord leads.
GOD BLESS FROM SCUMLIKEUSCHURCH@GMAIL.COM
Remember all our prayer requests;
Caliste Burt, brain surgery in September
Bill Warneke, chronic pain and depression
Steve H, the church finds the right pastor, the length of time it takes is a test not a reflection on the church. Strength and health. Healing of his wife’s Pam, knee pain.
Keep my wife in prayer, Sharon, she has to be off all meds as of yesterday as she preps for her spinal surgery Friday the 11th at 830am. She is in great pain.
SEXUAL PURITY PART II
June 4, 2021
two fig leaves isolated on a white background
Just as with any battle plan, one must count the cost of failure. What will be the cost of being overcome by sexual temptation? We see this strategy used when Solomon counseled his son in Proverbs about the lure of the adulterous woman. Solomon, who had many wives and concubines, knew the consequences of sexual immorality well. His father’s marriage began from an adulterous affair, and he struggled with his father’s lust. Consider the costs of sexual immorality in Proverbs 6:27-35:
Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.
Although Solomon is talking about adultery specifically, many of these consequences apply to lust in general. Solomon said, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” The answer to the rhetorical question is, “No!” In considering adultery, he said a person “destroys himself” and blows and disgrace will be his lot, and the shame will never be wiped away. The consequences last forever. Can anyone escape the penalties of indulging in lust? No. It is impossible. As mentioned, sexual immorality is a sin against one’s body (1 Cor 6:18). It always affects one’s body, mind, and spirit. It leads to mental and emotional baggage that is later carried into one’s marriage. Personally, I still struggle with explicit images and thoughts from things I saw and experienced before marriage, but I don’t act out because I don’t want to lose my intimacy with God, nor with my wife. Plus I don’t do well with guilt, it tears me up way to much. I carry those as baggage with me from the sins of my youth. Sometimes, the consequences are physical sickness such as STDs. Other times, it is an unplanned pregnancy—potentially leading to an abortion. When married, the costs become greater. Marital unfaithfulness leaves brokenness and carnage in its trail. A brokenhearted spouse and emotionally damaged children are just a few of the consequences.
As a married pastor with two adult children, I always think of the consequences of falling to my lust. I think of the pain it would cause my wife, the destruction I would be causing my children and grandchildren, believers who might fall away from Christ because of my example and being disqualified from ministry (cf. 1 Tim 3:2, 1 Cor 9:27). The consequences would be devastating, and like Solomon said, the “shame will never be wiped away” (Prov 6:33). Certainly, forgiveness is available, but forgiveness does not eliminate the consequences. God forgave David for his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband, but the consequences were the sword never departing from his home and losing his first child with Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:9-14).
Another consequence of sexual immorality that must be considered is its effect on our relationship with God. In the Beatitudes, Christ said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” (Matt 5:8). The word “pure” means unmixed. When we allow lust and other wrong desires to enter our heart, it hinders our relationship with God. It separates us from him. David said, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18).
Have you counted the cost of failure to sexual temptation? Fifty-six percent of divorce cases involved one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic sites. The seeds cultivated in a man or woman’s youth often bear destructive weeds in marriage. If we are going to win the battle against lust, we must count the cost. It is simply not worth it. I will say this, no matter what you did in your past with pornography and lustful behavior. One can lead a victorious life and not fail in those areas again.
O Lord, keep us from dishonoring your name, damaging ourselves, and damaging others. Make our feet like hinds’ feet and keep us from stumbling (Psalm 18:33). Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10).
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Remember Paul C. in your prayers he has really messed up his back.
Pray for Steve H, and his church searching for the right pastor, for his wife Pam, chronic knee pain.
Pray for Caliste Burt, 2 brain tumors, surgery in September, and the anxiety is setting in.
Remember Olivia, health and well being.
Pray for Christina, 8 years old and suffering chronic pain, doctors are not sure what is causing it. Since birth this young girl has had an uphill battle to live and stay alive.
Pray for Mikala, 18 years old, depression and anger, her father left and has broken every promise he made to stay in touch. We are talking zero contact.
PASS THE SALT
May 21, 2021
49 “For everyone will be tested with fire.
New Living Translation (Mk 9:49)
This is another one of those verses that I’ve read like 10k times, yet the verse after it is always used in a sermon but never this verse by itself.
Part of the problem is translation.
ESV, Mark 9:49, For everyone will be salted with fire. English Standard Version
For everyone will be salted with fire is a puzzling statement that occurs only in Mark, and many interpretations have been proposed: (1) Against the background of Lev. 2:13, “with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (see also Ezek. 43:24), some think Jesus means that believers themselves are now what is being offered to God (cf. Rom. 12:1), and the “salt” that is in them is the purifying “fire” of God’s Holy Spirit. The cleansing and purifying properties of salt support this idea, but this is surely an obscure way to refer to the Holy Spirit, and the connection to the larger context of Mark 9:43–48 is unclear. (2) A second interpretation also views believers as a sacrifice to God against that same OT background but understands the salt to represent purification by the “fire” of suffering and hardship, which is related to the costliness of discipleship implied in the willingness to give up even a hand or an eye (vv. 43–48). In other words, “Be willing to give up anything (vv. 43–48), and also to suffer for Christ’s sake, for something costly and painful will come into everyone’s life (v. 49).” But the “salt” and the “fire” also make the sacrifice pleasing to God and have a purifying effect on the believer. And as salt does not destroy but preserves food, so the suffering will not destroy the believer. (3) Others think that “everyone” means both believers and unbelievers, and thus the verse teaches that unbelievers will undergo the terrible fire of God’s judgment (cf. vv. 47–48), but believers, while not experiencing hell, will still in this life undergo the purifying, cleansing fire of God that comes through hardship and suffering. Interpretations (2) and (3) are similar, (2) being perhaps the most popular, however I favor (3).
I know the phrase “salted with fire fits this portion of scripture better, but I do prefer in this case the New Living Bible translation better with (3) being the best interpretation.
This is an excellent verse to not build doctrine on, in and of itself, but a good verse when taken with all the other scripture verses dealing with fire and salt, and judgement or purification of both groups, sinners (the former) and saints (the latter).
How ever the final argument is the text in Greek, the word is salted and not tested. Although it could be argued that we have to be salty, salted and tasted, i.e. tested, to see if we are indeed salty. So the argument is circular and again here is a great verse to have an opinion on but do not be dogmatic.
I did not intend this devotion to be this formal and analytical. But hey when I sit down to write it is always with a blank sheet of paper and perhaps a blank head as well.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Remember our prayers for those needing salvation. Especially Lauren, because if anybody could be dead at any moment it would be her. And the pain and trauma in her life is just to painful to watch. Anne, maybe one of the saddest persons on the planet. Tara, a life devoted to a party. Nicole, believes anything anyone ever tells her. Cristina, a heart of gold but lost in Catholicism. Norma, addicted to gambling and another not practicing Catholic.
Drew, hedonistic, Hunter, Garrett, Tavon, Lubbock, Phil, the lost boys, grown men that need to grow up.
All in need of salvation and all just so painful to watch their lives without Christ.
DELIVERANCE (NOT THE MOVIE)
March 17, 2021
Here’s a topic that is hard to discuss because it is almost purely anecdotal and although there are passages in the bible that discuss this topic, there are no texts that support a given formula for repeating the process.
Anyone curious?
Any Guesses?
The topic is deliverance.
The bible is chock full of stories of God’s divine deliverance, in both the Old Testament and New. But alas there is no formulas because the key word is ‘divine’ the deliverance came about as God’s plan of intervention.
But the topic often comes up in my counseling sessions. So I divide deliverance into 4 categories.
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Instant and permanent.
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Instant and temporary.
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A gradual process
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The thorn in the flesh, it is never going away.
And although not synonymous, I will often use the word deliverance with healing.
Over the 45 years of ministry, half in Pentecostal movements and half what I call Bapticostal. I find my ministry goals and perceptions changing. Not dramatically, no great paradigm shift, just a more relaxed attitude. And since I am semi-retired from pastoring (meaning I work 40 hours a week and not 60 or more) I find my phone ringing less at 3am because God knows I am not going to get up.
For many years I traveled with Oral Roberts and a host of others during the famous 1970’s and 80’s heyday of the great Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. I have seen firsthand real and genuine deliverance and healings. And from the very start of my ministry insisted that every person that claimed such a healing should go to their doctor and get medical proof of that healing.
I have a 5 tier fire proof file cabinet full of xrays and sonagrams, mri’s and CT scans of testimonies of divine healing. In those same filing cabinets are hundreds of letters of deliverance from every drug known unto man as well as deliverance from the bondage of sexual addiction, rage, anger. Perverted thinking. And as the Apostle Paul stated, ‘things so shameful’ we will not mention them.
I see less of these things happening today because of the wickedness of man’s heart, God being stripped from every institution and organization.
The largest Christian non profit in the world after 150 years of ministry is now ordaining homosexuals into their organization. Yet, hiding it from public knowledge. What I abhor is their hypocrisy. When I talked to the president of this organization, he said his greatest fear was having a law suit that would bankrupt them, so they ordained a few homosexuals, and are keeping them in their closet and will display them if a law suit comes about.
The bible is less and less being taught in churches. Preaching now a days is Unicorns and sugar plum fairies. God is a sugar daddy and he is lucky to have us.
We need to pray for a reformation for the church, then a revival of the church and then an evangelistic explosion before it is to late.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Pray for Robert S. hit a deer on his motorcycle. Besides the road rash he has broken of a dozen bones and blew up his spleen.
Pray for Steve H. vim and vigor and guidance in finding a new pastor for the church. His wife Pam, pray for healing of her knees.
Liz P, single mom, 3 kids, lost her job because of covid. Now she is in deep debt and some lawyers from the church are helping her get so debt forgiveness and guidance in a working financial plan.
I’M AN EXPERT ON THIS SUBJECT
March 8, 2021
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
THE ACTS OF THE SINFUL NATURE
No passage in the Bible draws a clearer contrast between the lifestyle of the Spirit-filled
believer and that of the person controlled by the sinful human nature than Gal 5:16-26.
Paul not only discusses general lifestyle differences by emphasizing that the Spirit and
the sinful nature are at war with each other, but he also includes a specific list of both
the acts of the sinful nature and the fruit of the Spirit.
THE ACTS OF THE SINFUL NATURE. “Sinful nature” (GREEK sarx) pictures the human
nature with its corrupt desires. The sinful nature remains within Christians after their
conversion and is their deadly enemy (Ro 8:6-8,13; Gal 5:17,21). Those who practice the
acts of the sinful nature cannot inherit God’s kingdom (Gal 5:21). Therefore, this sinful
nature must be resisted and put to death in a continual warfare that the believer wages
through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:4-14; see Gal 5:17). The acts of the
sinful nature (Gal 5:19-21) include:
(1) “Sexual immorality” (GREEK porneia), i.e., immoral sexual conduct and intercourse; it
includes taking pleasure in pornographic pictures, films or writings (Lv20:14; Mt
5:31-32; 19:9; Ac 15:20,29; 21:25; lCo 5:1);
(2) “Impurity” (Gk akatharsia), i.e., sexual sins, evil deeds and vices, including
thoughts and desires of the heart (Eph 5:3; Col 3:5);
(3) “Debauchery” (GREEK aselgeia), i.e., sensuality; following one’s passions and desires
to the point of having no shame or public decency (2Co 12:21);
(4) “Idolatry” (GREEK eidololatria) , i.e., worship of spirits, persons or graven images; trust
in any person, institution or thing as having equal or greater authority than God and his
Word (Col 3:5);
(5) “Witchcraft” (GREEK pharmakela), i.e., sorcery, spiritism, black magic, worship of
demons and use of drugs to produce “spiritual” experiences (Lx 7:11,22; 8:18; Rev 9:21;
18:23);
(6) “Hatred” (Gk echthra) , i.e., intense, hostile intentions and acts; extreme dislike or
enmity;
(7) “Discord” (Gk ens), i.e., quarreling, antagonism; a struggle for superiority (Ro
1:29; lCo 1:11; 3:3);
(8) “Jealousy” (Gk zelos), i.e., resentfulness, envy of another’s sllr.cess (Ro 13:13; lCo
3:3);
(9) “Fits of rage” (GREEK thumos), i.e., explosive anger that flames into violent words or
deeds (Col 3:8);
(10) “Selfish ambition” (Gk eritheia) , i.e., seeking of power (2Co 12:20; Php 1:16-17);
(11) “Dissensions” (GREEK dichostasia), i.e., introducing divisive teachings not supported
by God’s Word (Ro 16:17);
(12) “Factions” (GREEK hairesis) , i.e., division within the congregation into selfish groups
or cliques that destroy the unity of the church (iCo 11:19);
(13) “Envy” (Gkphthonos), i.e., resentful dislike of another person who has something
that one desires;
(14) “Drunkenness” (GREEK methel, i.e., impairing one’s mental or physical control by
alcoholic drink;
(15) “Orgies” (GREEK komos), i.e., excessive feasting and revelry; a party spirit involving
alcohol, drugs, sex, or the like.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Pray for Bobby T, hernia operation in a couple of days.
Pray for Sally M, just name a subject, object, health issue, life issue and this woman has it. Seriously I’m impressed she has kept her sanity through all this. What a sweet spirit in the midst of a fiery furnace.
Pray for Steve H, personally, health and strength, vigor and guidance and favor in looking for a new pastor. Pam his wife needs prayer for her knees.
Thanks for all the prayers for me, yesterday I was ready to cash in my chips, but today has been the most pain free day I’ve had in months. God bless you all.
IS THAT A ROCKET IN YOUR POCKET PART TWO (FINAL)
March 4, 2021
Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com
The rationalization of sin (lies men tell themselves)
Common deceptions or lies Satan uses to help men rationalize sexual sin:
Sexual sin is just part of being a man so there is nothing you can do about it.
You do not have a sexual addiction.
Partial obedience is good enough for God. Remember, God is good!
Since my wife is unattractive or not sensitive to my needs; therefore, it is all right to have my sexual needs met somewhere else. After all, God wants me happy.
You will only be happy with the woman who is your “soul mate”. Consequently, it is permissible for you to be on the lookout for the right woman – your “soul mate”.
You married the wrong woman; therefore, it is all right to divorce her to marry the “right” woman because you were never really married in God’s eyes.
You can conquer your sexual problem(s) without God.
I was sexually abused; therefore, I cannot help myself.
Since I yielded some already, I might as well go all the way!
I sacrifice so much for the Kingdom of God that I deserve this indiscretion – God understands.
No one faces the level of temptation that I face; therefore, God understands.
My wife is not meeting my needs; therefore, it is my right to have them met elsewhere – God understands.
Strategies to stop the process of sin coming into our mind’s thoughts via our body’s senses:
Avert your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin from enticing people or things – immediately! (Job 31:1.1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.1 Corinthians 6:13-20. Galatians 5:19-21)
Concentrate on the other side of the road when female joggers go by (and do not look in the rearview mirror at them either!)
Change channels when sexual commercials are aired.
Do not rent any movies that are unsuitable for children, etc.
Install Web Blocking software.
Unsubscribe from provocative cable/satellite channels.
Block provocative channels that you cannot unsubscribe.
Go on a water fast because the desire for food is stronger than the desire for sex (the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach). (Psalms 35:13)
Flee – run away from the tempting person, places or things.
Have a strategy to avoid areas of temptation planned in advance.
These strategies are completely effective against the visual sexual attraction to those you do not have to interact with like strangers. Realize:
Using your senses lustfully is only a bad habit that you developed from a poor choice.
You are fighting hormones and habits.
Habits can be completely eliminated in six weeks.
HALT
When you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired; you are more likely to act out. also when you have Time, Opportunity, and Money (TOM) you are more likely to act out.
For married men, if your wife is not meeting your desire (need) for physical intimacy it could be because you are not meeting her desire (need) for emotional intimacy. As the leader in the marriage, the man is the one to give first in order to stop this standoff. Realize the issue is more about forethought than foreplay with your wife. Here are some suggestions for turning this situation around:
Take her hand as you walk together.
Caress her face.
Gently dry her tears when she is upset.
Hug her for at least 15 seconds daily.
Give her a back rub daily.
Write her a love note daily before going to work.
Pick or buy her flowers.
Send her a “no occasion” gift.
See her first when you get home from work (not the hobby, mail, refrigerator, or pet).
Love her children.
Tell her that you love her often!
Cherish your wife (treat her with tenderness and hold her dear).
Your wife will become the way you treat her for good or bad!
Now if you do these things to manipulate your wife then they will have limited success. However, if you do these things to express how you really feel about your wife – then you will enjoy reaping what you have sown! You meet her emotional intimacy needs and she desires to meet your physical intimacy needs causing you to really want to meet her emotional intimacy needs which causes her to really want to meet your physical intimacy needs! Yes, the closest thing to a perpetual motion on earth!
Now do the opposite for the female at work that is trying to steal, kill and destroy your marriage (Proverbs 9:13-18. Proverbs 30:20. Proverbs 2:10-19. Ecclesiastes 7:26. Proverbs 7:1-27. Proverbs 22:14. Proverbs 5:1-23. Proverbs 6:23-35. Malachi 2:13-16. Exodus 20:14,17. Matthew 5:27,28. Proverbs 31:3):
Do you want to save your marriage? Then this is how you respond to the temptress.
Do not look at her (let her feel unattractive).
Ignore her flattery and talk about your wife (let her feel undesirable).
Use logic if she asks for help solving her problems (let her feel inferior).
Do not be sensitive to her needs – play the geek (let her feel incapable).
If asked, then be critical pointing out areas she needs to change (let her feel not needed).
Spend no time alone with her – flee!
Prepare an avoidance strategy in advance.
God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com
Remember JoAnn S, in prayer, covid and pneumonia, she is going downhill fast.
Keep her husband in prayer, Ronnie, he is going off the deep end with worry and fear.
Pray for Steve H, guidance in finding the right pastor for their church. Health and strength and vigor. Keep his wife Pam in prayer, severe knee pain.
Keep Olivia in prayer, her meds are worse then the disease.
Continue to pray for Caliste Burt, brain surgery coming up in September.
USED TO BE
February 6, 2021
I had a new reader of our blog reach out to me last night. She described her lifestyle to me and that was about as far as our conversation went.
She is probably not a Christian, so I want to make sure that my response is biblical, kind and loving, but mainly biblical, meaning how does the bible handle these issues.
I also want her to know that my response is one of love, scumlikuschurch@gmail.com is founded on one principle, the bible and the love of God is relevant and all topics are up for discussion.
I also believe that some people send me shocking photos just for the shock value or hey this guy is a pastor lets seduce him to sin or tempt him. After all my years of counseling porn stars and sex addicts, convicts and just whacked out people, not going to happen. I don’t shock very easy. And the temptation part, sexual temptation is not my thing either. World domination, maybe.
Let me point out one thing, there is the letter of the law and then the spirit of the law. The letter of the law is the actual words, the spirit of the law is the principle behind the words.
You will never know complete joy, love and freedom until you find it in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
New English Translation
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners,[a] practicing homosexuals,[b] 10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive,[c] and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Some of you once lived this way.[d] But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ[e] and by the Spirit of our God.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).King James Version. To highlight his treatment of this subject, Paul shows the utter incompatibility of the world with the church. He dramatically contrasts the “unrighteous” of verse 9 with those who are “washed… sanctified…and justified” in verse 11. Without fear or favor, he recognized that outside the grace of God, unregenerate man at his best is capable of:
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a) Fornication – a word that literally means male prostitution.
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b) Idolatry – a word that signifies the substitution of something or someone for God.
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c) Adultery – a word that describes sexual intercourse with another person’s spouse.
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d) Effeminacy – a word that suggests the loss of manhood or womanhood to live for pleasure and luxury.
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e) Sodomy – a word that spells out the sins of homosexuality and sodomy
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f) Robbery – a word that covers the whole area of the misappropriation of time, energy, or money belonging to God or someone else.
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g) Covetousness – a word meaning to make others and their possessions an object of worship.
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h) Drunkenness – a word that denotes intemperate drinking
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i) Reveling – a word that is associated with an uncontrolled, unsanctified tongue.
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j) Extortion – a word that denotes a spirit that is always reaching and grabbing for that to which it has no right.
scumlikeuschurch 