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  You do realize that had God not given us this thing called ‘sexual desire’... the human race would have probably come to an abrupt end. And I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one point, do I? When God created man and woman, His first command to them was to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth..” (Gen. 2:26-28) I’m not quite certain as to how this would have all played out prior to the ‘fall’, or if things would have been any different, but we do know that both Adam and Eve walked about ‘naked’ in the garden, which today might be ‘problematic’ for many of us. But something changed, and hence, the reason the first order of business after they ‘sinned’ was God put some clothes or coverings on them. (Gen.3:21). Welcome back to our series as we look at how Christians should deal with and regulate the satisfying of two legitimate physical needs we all have, the consuming of food and fulfilling sexual desires. As we discussed previously, it is quite possible that when we ...
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  If you don’t believe that ‘spirits’ can become attached to simple physical needs and appetites (that are God-given), then you are choosing ignorance and darkness over truth and light. (John 3:19-20) Have you never watched shows that focused on ‘eating disorders’, highlighting the journeys of people who mask past wounds by piling on weight by the hundreds of pounds (my 600-pound Life); or listened to the testimonies of women who suffer from ‘Anorexia’ and all they see ...when they look at their ‘skin and bone bodies’ in a mirror...is a ‘fat person’? And for the life of me, I don’t even want to know how...or why any human could find ‘sexual fulfillment’ by engaging in ‘sexual activities’ with young children, or babies...and yes...even animals; but there is no shortage of people who do. I also have a hard time believing that an adult just wakes up one morning and begins to engage in such activities on a whim. There usually is a ‘story’ behind such activity that leads to such despi...
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  “All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:16-17) Have you ever heard that expression before, the ‘lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’? It is pretty much the gateway to sin and yes...a door for a ‘spiritual enemy’ we hear much about in scripture who we are told to ‘resist’ and to ‘give no place to’ (Eph. 4:27; James 4:7). And if we don’t deal with him...and ‘the sin that can so easily ensnare us’ (Heb. 12:1), then things won’t bode well for us (John 5:14; Matt. 12:43-45; Luke 13:3,5). Those were the three ‘windows’ through which the serpent tempted Eve back in the garden (Gen. 3:1-5) when she yielded to it and ate from that tree (Gen. 2:17); and it is the three areas in which Jesus was tempted by the devil...and He resisted on all accounts (Luke 4:1-13)...
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  God desires for all people to be ‘saved’... and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4) I remember having a conversation with another professing believer some time back who was telling me that it was not God’s will for ‘all to be saved’, but only the ‘chosen ones’. I was puzzled by that and mentioned the verse above and was told I was taking that ‘out of context’. I then asked them about 2 Pet. 3:9 where it states how God is ‘longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance’. Again, they said they would need to read that in context and get back to me. If left up to those who are of this belief, maybe it’s time to ‘edit’ John 3:16 and cross out ‘the world’ and ‘whosoever’ ...and replace with ‘the chosen ones’. But now I digress...forgive me. Not only does God want us to be ‘saved’ (from His wrath- Rom. 5:9), but He also wants us to ‘come to the knowledge of the truth’. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he points o...
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  It’s not a sin to be tempted... to sin. (Yea...say it again and aloud this time) Nor is it a ‘sin’ to ‘have bad thoughts’. Where do you think ‘temptation’ begins? And who exactly is the ‘tempter’? It sure isn’t God! (James 1:13). Do you not think that Jesus had ‘bad thoughts’? Of course He did...”He was tempted in all points as we are tempted, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And here’s the really good news: “Since He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18). That’s why we are encouraged to come with confidence to the ‘throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need’ (Heb. 4:16). And if/when you do this... something ‘supernatural’ takes place...but you better be humble and admit your need for it when you come to Him for it (James 4:6; Titus 2:11-12). Oh...something else to consider – knowing who this ‘tempter’ is, we are not advised to ‘ignore’ him, rather we are to ‘resist’ him (James...
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  Just because we’ve not been able to ‘make it work’ for us...does not give us the liberty to ‘re-write’ the Bible so it ‘fits’ and affirms our current lifestyle marked by failures and sin; or even worse...to write books and commentaries that do the same thing as they then get read more than the Bible itself. Yes, ALL of us have sinned and ‘blown it’! But the Bible does not teach we will continue... to do that after we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Surely you’ve heard that well known definition of ‘insanity’...trying to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results’? Oh...so this walk of faith seems to have gotten a lot more serious than what you had ever really considered, you say...especially after reading these messages the past two days? That probably would explain why even back in Jesus’s day...that many ‘turned away and no longer followed Him’...because they thought the same thing. (John 6:60,66). Were you aware that Paul spoke of a great ‘fa...
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  Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:34-35) May I ask: What do you think Jesus came to ‘set us free’ from? (Rom. 6:20,22) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (breaking the commandments of God) – 1 John 3:4 “He who sins is of the devil...and for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) Friends - Sin is breaking God’s law; Period. I know, ‘missing the mark’ is a much softer definition for the word ‘sin’ and makes for a charming word study on how archers never hit a perfect bullseye every single time they sling an arrow, and therefore God knows you will do the same, as in ‘sin often’. There’s just one problem with that play on words- it’s deceptive. That passage I refer to regularly in Mat...
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