LUST, IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE LETTERS PART 4

Last time we talked about the destruction lust can cause. You can put the fire of lust out before it spreads. However, if you don’t, it can be like an uncontrolled forest fire. In order for a fire to burn you need a spark, oxygen and fuel. The spark can be from inappropriate language, touching and unprofessional advances. The oxygen that a lust fire needs is provided by allowing lust to enter your body and through you. The fuel can be from your continuous lustful acts of thoughts, conversations and behavior.  Take one these items out in time and you can put the fire out. However for whatever reason the fire wasn’t put out. Today we are going to talk about the aftermath of a lust fire.

Your life looks like an aftermath of a forest fire. You can smell the smoke and see the burnt remains.  Now it’s time to see the damage and destruction you’ve sustained. You see the charred remains of your relationship with your spouse or mate. You can see the shock, pain, anger and disappointment in their eyes. You have to answer the tough questions from your children. “Why doesn’t dad or mom live here anymore?” “What did they do?” You have to deal with their confusion, pain, sadness and anger.  Perhaps you got fired from your job because of a lustful act and now you got to go home to your spouse or mate and explain to him or her. I know of a man who got fired because he sent inappropriate content accidently to management instead of his friend. It was just supposed to be a joke. He started to cry and said “What am I going to tell my wife and kids?” He knew this was against company policy. You got caught cheating by your wife or husband with their best friend. You got arrested for being with someone under aged or with a prostitute.  There are hundreds of situations people are dealing with right now. You may be the person who committed arson by setting this fire of lust. However, you could be the victim of the fire of lust. The damage has been done. The question is what now? Where do I go from here? The journey your beginning or your currently on won’t be easy. It can take a while for you to recover. You don’t need to jump into another relationship. You need to have patience and give yourself some time to heal. You’ll have your good days and bad. You will go through different emotions. You may need to seek professional help to assist and guide you through this difficult time. Also, seek someone in ministry to help you. The most important thing you need to remember is that God is with you. It may not feel like it but he is. You will need to develop a deeper relationship with him.  Let’s go to the God U Said It Verse of today.

In John 16:33 NIV it states “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Jesus is saying that you will have trouble.  He also states that through him you will have peace. After a forest fire, the land that has been burn will recover. Although the plant and trees above the surface has burned, the root system of the plant usually hasn’t been damage severely. Also, there are seeds and bulbs that will fall off the burning trees and plants. These seeds and bulbs will fall to the ground and take root. You may have Jesus rooted in you right now. However, you may be someone who doesn’t know Jesus as your savior. This is the time to plant him in your forest of life. This is the time for the root of Jesus to grow in you.  Once he starts to grow in you, peace will come to you.  Recovering and healing will come to you. Leadership and direction will come to you. All of this can take some time. This burnt area in your life is fertile. Don’t plant anger and revenge in this area. Don’t plant the weeds or thistles such as drugs, alcohol or more lust. Let Jesus be in your forest of life. He will bring someone along into your life. He has already brought himself in your life. All you have to do is take it to heart. Jesus is knocking on your heart to help you recover and fix the damage.  Here’s your phrase for today.

L-Lord

U-U

S-Save

T-Thee

 

L-Lord

U-U

S-Strengthen

T-Thee

He’s ready to plow and plant good and wonderful things in your forest. Next time we’ll talk about which way you must move. Until next time, may God continue to bless you and keep you.

                                          Walt Gs.

LUST, IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE LETTERS PART 3

Last time we talked about the difficulty of dealing with lust. It seems that you can’t escape from being exposed to lust. You have to rely on God to help you navigate through lustful situations. Continue to not only study the word of God but live the word of God. Today, we are going to look at the destruction lust can cause.

I talked about some of the destruction lust can cause in Part 1. When you get a chance, please go back and read lust, it’s all about how you use the letters part 1. Let’s go back to Job 31:12 NLT. “It’s is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.” I want to show you some other versions of this verse.  The NIV states, “It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest.” The KJV states, “For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.”  The AMP states, “For [uncontrolled passion] is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (to destruction, ruin, and the place of final torment); [that fire once lighted would rage until all is consumed] and would burn to the root all my [life’s] increase.”  What do these different versions have in common? They all say lust is a fire and that will continue to burn until total destruction.  Lust will destroy your increase, harvest and everything you own. It’s like an uncontrolled forest fire.  It can take a while before you gain control of a forest fire and put it out.  Let’s go to the God U Said It Verse of the day.

Once again, the verse is Job 31:12 NLT. It states “It’s is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.”  The question I like to ask is what does a fire need to burn? In order for fire to burn, you need heat, oxygen and fuel. This is also now as the fire triangle. If any of these things are removed, the fire will be extinguished. These are the same things you need to have a fire of lust. You need some kind of spark.  The first lustful conversation, first time you look at porn, inappropriate touching etc… It needs some form of oxygen. The oxygen is provided by you. Remember in part 2 the verse warns you about lust getting into your heart. You need oxygen to live. If lust is living and pumping through your body, you’re giving it the oxygen because you need to breath in order to live. Lastly, it needs fuel to burn. For example, the subscription to the porn site or certain magazines.  The continuous lustful communication through text, emails and phone conversations.  In order for this to stop, you have to take one of these elements away. It may be too late to stop the spark but you can put out the fire. Otherwise, it will continue to burn until it consumes everything.  Here’s your phrase for today

L-Leaves

U-U

S-Scorched

&

T-Torched

 

L-Lures

U-U

T-Toward

S-Sin

Next time we’ll look at the aftermath of a lust fire. Until next time, May God Continue To Bless You And Keep You.

 

Walt GS.

 

 

LUST, IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE LETTERS PART 2

Hello everyone, once again I’ve been under attack by the enemy.  He’s causing enough havoc to accomplish one of his goals.  He wants to keep me from writing about God. However, we all may fall down, but we have the ability to get back up again. No matter what made you fall, Jesus has his hand out like he did with Peter on the water. He will help you get up again and again and again. Last time, we looked at the definition of lust. Today, we’ll look at the difficulty with dealing with lust.

The reason why lust is such a problem is because you are bombarded by lust every day. You can’t escape the presence of lust. Every day you see TV shows, movies, advertisements, even the clothes people wear that promotes lust. It plays on your sense of sight. It’s pleasing to the eye. The problems start when you first looked at those images. Did you look at them with a clear mind or did you look at it with a lustful intent. Some images are designed for you to look at with a lustful frame of mind. For example: porn and certain magazines. Some images are not intended to be look at with that frame of mind. However, because we all have lustful images in our minds, it may trigger that part of the mind.  When you think about what you saw how do you remember the images? In Job 31:1 NIV it states “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” In essence, we look at things in different frames of mind. We have to make a covenant with our eyes not to look at a woman or man lustfully.  You have to be in control of your thoughts and your state of mind. If you let this lust go uncheck, it will start to get into your heart. It’s very important not to let this lust get into your heart.  Why, let’s look at the God U Said it Verse of the day.

In Proverb 6:25 NIV it states “Do not lust in your heart after hear beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.”  Let’s look at the first part of the verse.  The heart’s job is to pump blood all over your body which keeps you alive. When someone is unconscious, the first thing someone checks is for a pulse or a heartbeat. When you have lust in the heart, it circulates all over your body. In addition you have given it a pulse and a means to live.  You have memories of lustful images but the only way the brain can live is through the heart. Also, lust is occupying a place where Jesus wants to dwell in. He wants your heart to pump his essence all over your body.  Now let’s look at the second part of the verse. One of the entrances to your body is through the eyes. This is another way that lust can get into your body is through your sight. This is why you have to be mindful on how you looking at someone. Some of the synonyms of captivate is capture, trance, charm, bewitch, entrance and enchant. Some of these words you hear when someone is practicing witchcraft or sorcery.  Also in this verse you see the word “or”. What this is saying is don’t let lust enter through your hear t or through your eyes. Remember, lust doesn’t ever satisfy you. It keeps you coming back for more. Let Jesus come into your heart. He will answer the door for you if someone comes knocking. If it’s not of him, he won’t let them in. Here’s your phrase for today

L-looks                                                       

S-satisfying                                                 

T-to                                                              

U-u.                                                               

 

L-leads

T-to

U-untrue

 S-satisfaction

Next time we’ll look at some of the destruction lust can cause. Until then may God Bless You And Keep You.

 

                                    Walt GS

LUST: IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE LETTERS PART 1

Let me start off by saying it’s good to be back. I have been under attack by the enemy. It hasn’t been easy but God has gotten me through. Last time we concluded the study of Solomon for the time being. I hope it blessed you enough to apply what you have learned into your life. God has now switched me toward an epidemic that’s happening. It seems like every day the media is talking about it. The epidemic is called lust of the sexual type. Today we are going to look at definition of lust.

Every time you turn on the news you hear about sexual lust. From coaches, athletes, politicians, teachers, people in ministry even a former president, it has touched all walks of life. To understand better what we are dealing with, let’s get a definition of lust. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary “lust is an intense or unbridled sexual desire. To have an intense desire or need; crave specifically to have a sexual urge.” Lust is the works of the devil. It usually doesn’t come on at once. It works slowly into your spirit were you may not notice how much damage it’s causing. You will say to yourself “I was just joking or it’s not causing any harm. All we are doing is having a conversation. We just had a business lunch. I can control it.” We all kid around with people and have fun. We all are going to interact with people. This is to be expected. God wants you to enjoy life and he understands we interact with one another. However, you have to be aware of your behavior and when the enemy is trying to sneak in. Always remember the enemy is more crafty then any beast in the field. A lot of times you can start off innocent. You had no intent in trying to get with this person in a lustful kind of way. We say it just happened. There’s always a beginning or spark that lights this fire. Make sure you put it out before the fire gets out of control. What is the God You Said Verse of Today?

Here’s how the bible defines lust. In Job 31:11 & 12 NLT it states “For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.” This is a very powerful and direct message. God is saying lust is a sin. It’s a crime and shameful. You can also expect some type of punishment to be administered. Look some of the headlines for proof now and in the past. Penn State University and the Sandusky case.  School teachers having a lustful relationship with a younger students. Priest being accused of sexual abuse.  The trial that went on in Atlanta about someone being shot at a daycare because of lust. The person who committed the lustful act is put to shame. They are exposed along with everyone who’s associated with them. Depending on the circumstances it can be a crime. Once prosecuted, you will be punished for the lustful act. You may not be prosecuted by the judicial system but you will by someone. Your life as you knew it will be severely damaged before you go to the court room. Even if your found innocent, in most cases your life will never be the same. You could lose your freedom, your spouse, family, friends, reputation and it goes on and on. Lust is fire that consumes and destroys. It can wipe out everything you own. Your finances, property your career etc… You will be in hell on earth. You can’t control it. It’s not meant to be controlled. If you’re committing a lustful act with anyone this is your wake up call. You need to stop now and pray. If needed, seek professional help with this problem. If you see someone doing a lustful act with someone, you need to report it. We need to pray for the victim of the lustful act. It’s a long road to recovery for the victims. We will continue to study lust to get a better understanding on what it is. Also, I’m going to use the letters in lust to form phrases. Here’s your phrase for today.

L-leads       

U-u       

T-to       

S-shame      

 

 

L-leads

U-u

T-to

S-sin

I got so much that God has put on my mind about what’s under attack in our walk with him. I know I will be talking about lust again but I don’t know exactly when. So next time, I will talk about wherever God guides me to. Until then, may God continue to bless you and keep you.

 

Walt GP

PROVERBS: WHO IS SOLOMON PART 7

Last time we continue to talk about the fall of Solomon. The results of his disobedience were he had part of his kingdom torn away. However, God tore part of his kingdom away from his son instead of Solomon himself. Solomon’s son inherited some of the punishment for his father’s disobedience. Today, we’ll see the other results of Solomon’s disobedience.

Let’s review and go back to 1 Chronicles 22:9 New International Version. It states “But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.” However, since Solomon started worshipping other Gods, this was no longer the case. In 1 King 11:14 New International Version it states “Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.” This was the first adversary that God raised up against Solomon. The second adversary came in 1 King 11:23 New International Version. It states “And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.” In 1 King 11:25 New International Version it states “Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel. According to the Merriam-Webster one of the synonyms for adversary is the word enemy. God allowed these enemies to cause trouble with Solomon. Also, Solomon no longer had peace and rest from his enemies.

What’s the God U Said It Verse of the day? Let’s look at Job 12:13 New International Version. It states “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” This is what God gave to Solomon. In most people views, Solomon had it all. God gave him wisdom, power, knowledge, wealth and respect. However, because he took his attention away from God, he began to go down the wrong path. Does this sound familiar even today? How many times have you heard about people having it all only to lose it in the end? You have to keep your focus on God. Be obedient and continue to build a strong relationship with God. God will protect you from your adversaries. There are many distractions and situations that will ruin you if you’re not careful.

This concludes our study of Solomon for now. I hope you got a better understanding on who was the main author of Proverbs was. Solomon has left us with his timeless wisdom and knowledge from God. There’s a great deal that we can learn from Solomon and Proverbs. Next time we are going to start studying about the epidemic that’s happening that needs to be addressed. Until then may God continue to bless you and keep you.

Walt G.

PROVERBS: WHO IS SOLOMON PART 6

Last time, we continue to talk about the fall of Solomon. He was warned and commanded by God to be obedient. God was very specific about what he wanted Solomon to do. However, Solomon continued to disobey God’s warnings and commands. Today we’ll look at part of the results at the results of Solomon’s disobedience.

In 1 King 11:11 New International Version it states “So the LORD said to Solomon, Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.” God is going to tear the kingdom away from Solomon. However, look at 1 King 11:12. It states “Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” His son was the one to take the punishment for what Solomon has done. In 1 King 11:13 it states “Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” The subordinate that was to be given the kingdom torn away from Solomon was Jeroboam.

In 1 King 11:26 it states “Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.” In 1 King 11:28 “Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.” Solomon promoted the person who was going to take most of his kingdom away from his son. From 1 King 29 through 1 King 39 it talks about Ahijah, who was a profit, told Jeroboam everything God told him. He was going to receive 10 kingdoms from the son of Solomon. In addition, he told Jeroboam about what Solomon did to have the kingdom taken away from his son. God also commanded Jeroboam to be obedient to God’s decrees and commands just like he commanded Solomon. This is part of the results of Solomon being disobedient to God.

What’s the God U Said It verse of today? Let’s go back to 1 King 11:12. It states “Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” You may have been disobedient to God and feel like I got away with it. However, it could affect your family, friends or children. You may have passed down a negative inheritance on to them. Before you disobey God ask yourself “Who else might suffer because of my disobedience?” God sees and knows everything. Don’t have something torn out of your son’s or daughter’s hands because you were disobedient. I said this before: it’s not always about you. You’re not getting away with anything. Next time we’ll continue to look at the results of Solomon’s disobedience. Until next time, may God continue to bless you and keep you.

PROVERBS: WHO IS SOLOMON PART 5

Last time, we started to talk about the fall of Solomon. He allowed his wives to turn his heart after other Gods thus changing his I.D. When Solomon was younger he was taught not to have other Gods. God himself warned Solomon that this would happen. We will continue to study the fall of Solomon. Today we’ll study how Solomon started to be disobedient according to what God commanded and warned him about.

In 1 King 11:9 New International Version it states “The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.” God was angry with Solomon because he commanded and warned him to be obedient. The command came in 1 King 6:12 New International Version. It states “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.” God commanded Solomon to keep all my commands and obey them. The warning came in 1 King 9:6. It states “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you[and go off to serve other gods and worship them.” God even went as far to warn Solomon what the results would be if he didn’t obey. In 1st King 9:7 it states “then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.”
Solomon was also warned about having relationships with strange women. The wives of Solomon were the women God warned Solomon not to marry. In 1 King 11: 2 New International Version it states “They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” Once again God warn him about what the results would be if he didn’t obey. However, Solomon chose to hold on to these women. This further contributed to the fall of Solomon.
What’s the God U Said It Verse of today? Let’s go back to 1 King 9:7 and the part of the verse that says “Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” Are you saying to God, “I know you have warned me about this but nevertheless I’m going to hold fast in love.” What are you holding on to in love despite of all the warnings you have been given? Do you love that person so much your willing to put up with the abuse? Do you love to get high despite of all of the warnings about drug abuse? Heed to the warnings that God has given you and turn your focus to him. God commands and warns us about certain issues because he loves and cares about us. God knows what’s best. Next time we’ll look at the results of Solomon’s disobedience. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you.

 

Walt G.