Freedom from Lust

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

Freedom starts with agreeing with God’s truth.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Marriage is blessed from God

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the LORD.   Proverbs 18:22

God honors and defends marriage

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.   Hebrews 13:4

Adultery in the Heart
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.   Matthew 5:27-30

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding
31 “Furthermore it has been said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.   Matthew 5:31-32

God hates divorce and unfaithfulness

13 And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.   14 Yet you say, “For what reason? “Because the LORD has been witness  between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
15 But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

16 “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”  Malachi 2:13-16

 

A man who lays with a virgin is expected to get married.

28 “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days.  Deuteronomy 22:28-29

Job understood the destructive nature of lust

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 10 Then let my wife grind for another, And let others bow down over her.   11 For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.  12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,  And would root out all my increase.    Job 31:9-10

Often men do not want to confess the seriousness of the situation.  They may say, “No one was harmed.  I didn’t bring home any diseases.”

Here are some of the ‘diseases’ that may have been brought home or into future family relationships:  Ungratefulness, impatience, anger, fantasy, violence, rudeness, unfaithfulness, deceit, lying, distrust, lack of integrity, lack of character, frustration, greed, lust, lack of self control, selfishness, laziness, arrogance towards God, and open doors to Satan’s destruction and deception.

Action Plan for Forgiveness and Freedom

1. Pray and confess sin.  God forgives when we admit it is evil and we don’t want to do it anymore.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

2. Draw near to God and decide to resist temptation. (A double minded person won’t decide if disobeying God is bad.)

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  James 4:7-8

3. Ask forgiveness from those we have hurt.

4. Get accountability – Someone to help us avoid vulnerable situations and say “No.”  Someone to encourage us to do what pleases God.

5.  Memorize God’s descriptions of true love and a life that pleases Him.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.    I Corinthians 13:4-7

6.  Let God transform your mind.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.    Galatians 5:22-23

7. Develop healthy habits

  • Daily Bible reading and prayer
  • Worship and Bible Study with a Bible believing church.
  • Obedience to God in sharing His plan of salvation and freedom.
  • Obedience to God in kindness and helping others.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”   John 8:31-32

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Vampires come out at Twilight

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

What God says about Vampires

God forbids eating or drinking blood.

3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.   6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. (Genesis 9:3-6)

12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.  13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:12-14)

God associates a curse on the children of those who eat blood.

23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 12:23-24)

God uses Paul and the Apostles to reaffirm His command not to eat blood.

25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 21:25   See Also Acts 15:15 and Acts 15:29)

God holds us accountable to know His laws.  He curses the children of those who reject His laws.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.  (Hosea 4:6)

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Is abortion murder in God’s eyes?

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

What God Says about Killing a Baby

God cares about a baby before he is born.  God takes credit for making the baby develop, and the baby’s life is preciously planned.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

Psalm 139:13-18

God demands justice for a baby injured or killed in the mother’s womb.

22 “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Exodus 21:22-25

We have a responsibility to rescue the defenseless

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.

11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Proverbs 24:10-12

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Do we need to study evil?

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

The short answer is “Yes.”  Evil is a real part of life, and we need to know how to respond to attacks from the Evil One and his schemes.

We do not study evil to become evil.  There is a difference between sharing the history about Hitler, and teaching kids how to be like Hitler.  We don’t study Hitler to become tyrants.  We study Hitler’s schemes to try and prevent someone like him from bringing similar death and destruction.

I study evil to know how to better defend my community from evil and how to advance righteousness instead. I don’t want my children or neighbor’s children to be recruited to be witches, sodomites, atheists, sexually active outside of marriage or overcome by other types of evil.  So, I must be on guard against evil and have strategies to repel it.  But, the majority of my time is focused on learning to live a healthy, productive life that pleases God and brings blessing to my family and community.

First, an encouragement to focus on what is good. The following sections from the Holy Bible explain how God wants us to know a lot about how to be good and very little about how to be bad.

For your obedience has become known to all.  Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning what is evil. Romans 16:19

Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.     Deuteronomy 12:28

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken. Amos 5:14

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  Romans 12:9

Second, agree that we are in a battle with evil, until the time God chooses to destroy it.

Almost any evil and disgusting thing imaginable is mentioned in the Bible.  There is rape, incest, ripping pregnant women’s wombs open and all kinds of torture and torment.  There are many examples of demonic battles and demon possessed people doing terrible things and causing pain and grief.

Why did God allow so many depictions of evil to be recorded in His Word?  Because spiritual warfare and evil are a real part of the world we live in.  We may want to skip those parts of the Bible or become angry at the person who makes us aware of demonic activity.  We may want to hide in a fantasy where everything is safe and encouraging.  But, that does not change the fact that we are in a spiritual battle, whether we like it or not.

  • Satan, God’s enemy, brought sin and death into the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3)
  • Satan has devices and schemes against us. (II Corinthians 2:10-11)
  • Satan and his demons are at war with God’s children. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
  • Those who are not following Christ Jesus are sons of disobedience and following Satan. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
  • Satan wants to steal kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

Don’t get scared, God is bigger than Satan.  God destroys death with eternal life and puts an end to Satan’s power.

Then comes the end, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:24-26)

Third, know the right reason to study evil … to bring healing and set people free.

A doctor has no desire to get sick personally, but he spends years studying diseases, so he can be God’s hands to bring healing to those who are sick.  In the same way, we are God’s servants to bring freedom to those who are oppressed by the Evil One.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave these instructions to His followers:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  (Mark 16:15-18)

In conclusion, we study evil in the Bible to understand how God wants to be glorified in evil’s defeat, how to stand against the Evil One, and how to bring healing and freedom to our community.  The battle plan is to preach the gospel and teach people to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.  As a result, life, healing and freedom will follow.  Once the gospel is established in a community, we are to stand faithfully and continually proclaim God’s salvation and His righteousness. (Ephesians 6:10-20 & Matthew 6:33)

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