Sunday, February 15, 2009

Many men are like David who was having trouble with women

Men (as I have in the past but no longer) have problems with porn (as in pictures) as much as women has problems with romance books (erotica). Its not just "lust" as with porn but greed and covet, those are just as bad. I used to deal with porn when I was younger but my wife and fellow Christians who had similar problems have helped. I just knew that I was not alone.

We sin because we are still sinners. Satan fires shafts of impurity, shafts of selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment, lust, greed, vanity, covetousness, it all comes down to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Peter says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion walketh about', seeking whom he may devour." 1st John 2:16 says: "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father." Psalm 5:4: "You are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness; neither will evil dwell with You." Numbers 15:39 .......going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

Many of us MEN are like David. David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart that we men can be like David. We must admit our weaknesses and allow God to work in us.

David was guilty of horrific sin which he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then conspired to cover his sin with the murder of her husband. One example is this (I learned the most): David who learned that "thinking" leads to sin. David with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). David woke up from a nap, went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman taking a bath. Through the eyes of David, enter into his mind, he sees a beautiful naked woman and began thinking about her. I am a man, and I have a GOOD IDEA what he was thinking? David's thinking led him to self-serving which was motivated by lust and envy. This is where God has a problem with me (as well as with many Christians).

Reading Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. David wrote this after prophet Nathan came to him after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Learning from David, I have learned that God loves but He also hates.

Psalm 97:10 "Ye who love the LORD, hate evil."

Reading Psalms, David used six synonyms to describe Scripture: law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, and judgments. David understood that he was chosen by God. 2 Chronicles 6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel. Why did God chose the Jewish people during the Old Testament time and not the Gentiles?

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people.

I have found that God chose unqualified people and what kind of "logic" is that?

God will use ordinary good people as well as ordinary very sinful people to accomplish great things. God will use people who have the life experiences by that will Glorify Him by putting them through the right spiritual directions and teaching them the right spiritual lessons.

God knows our hearts and He will honor our search for truth.

God sees and measures the heart more than He sees actions. Our sinful actions were the RESULT of our sinful heart. I also have learned that David was an example of how we are to serve others without demanding our rights.(LOVE)

Psalm 27:4 -- David said, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple." David have cried more over things that have happened to other people that he care about than he have ever cried about things that have happened to him. When David is identified with God, the things that break his heart when some dishonor God.

It is God's will for us to be sanctified. Spiritual maturity requires a believer to allow the Holy Spirit to change our lives. The Holy Spirit dwells in us with all the power and gifts of God, necessary to enable us to walk the noble, spiritual, Son-like life with God. Being sanctified means “to be separated from sin”. The key to sanctification then, is to know and obey the truth which is the Word of God in our hearts. When we got saved, we were justified which is "declared righteous". Justification cannot be separated from sanctification. We are declared righteous in justification, and then the process of making us righteous begins to function in this sinful world.

Knowing your true enemy is important and that enemy is Satan who can easily become the tool of Satan, who is called the accuser. One of his chief weapons is discouragement. He knows that if he can make us discouraged and dispirited we will not fight the battle for holiness.

Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

In my office, I have this cute cartoon. It is showing a cute person wearing the Armor of God and shooting arrows (devil's schemes). A quote under the cartoon states: "Look at it this way...... Without these trials, testing of your faith, working of patience, and fighting a good fight.......LIFE COULD BE BORING." (see 1 Peter 1:7) My mother gave me that when I was facing tough situations.

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