As a result of the recent election, you may notice that I have been focusing more on political articles, rather than theological articles. The below article is one that was e-mailed to me.
Posted by Vincent Gioia
November - 11 - 2008
"Until now most attention to a Barack Obama presidency has focused, rightfully, on the likely socialist policies to be enacted during the next four years. Opponents have unsuccessfully tried to inform Americans about changes in the tax law to “spread the wealth” from the so-called “wealthy” to lower income voters. Though under the current “progressive” tax system this already occurs; President Obama will enshrine and expand the tax policy toward the Marxist ideal.
Other government policy and laws that will diminish our rights and increase government control have also been discussed by many but have fallen on deaf ears as the public focused more on rhetoric and style rather than substance. A loss of the sacred secret ballot for workers to the benefit of unions seems not to impress workers enough to affect their vote. The potential loss of private health care and the likelihood that government bureaucrats will make health care decisions did not diminish voter support for Obama. Even the appointment of liberal judges willing to ignore the constitution like Ginsberg, Breyer, Souter and Stevens did not bother voters captivated by Obama.
All of the above is sufficient to accept a non conservative of questionable judgment in place of the radical community organizer.
However not as well known are some very serious matters that will change our country forever. Under our constitution treaties take precedence over all federal and state laws and some treaties previously barred by Republican presidents will likely find smooth sailing under a Democrat-dominated congress led by President Barack Obama.
For many years we have resisted the insistence of the United Nations and socialist-led countries to sign onto the International Court where constitutional rights of Americans will be superseded by a court hostile to our institutions and individual rights and immune from US voter and congressional oversight. Our soldiers and citizens can be arrested and charged under leftist laws without protection of our constitution.
Of course a Kyoto-like treaty ignored even by President Bush will easily get ratified in the next congress and eagerly signed by President Obama. It will not be enough that our economy and individual rights will be saddled by new environmental laws but the country will be subject to international oversight to assure compliance with extreme regulations.
Rights under the Second Amendment will be jeopardized as gun control advocates will be able to accomplish what has been denied by congress and the U.S. Supreme Court as the United States signs a treaty to ban small arms and light weapons among United Nation member countries.
The Law of the Sea Treaty which has faced opposition in congress can become law as we surrender unilateral rights to foreign controlled agencies of the United Nations.
Who knows what effect on the country ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Woman (CEDAW) will have.
Will a requirement to participate in world taxes be far behind? One of the United Nations goals is to collect a United Nations royalty on all fossil fuels extracted in international waters.
We must also remember that Senator Barack Obama introduced legislation, (S. 2433) called the Global Poverty Act “to promote the reduction of global poverty and the achievement of the Millennium development goal by allocating $800 billion for this purpose. The laws reference to Millennium Development is short-hand for a United Nations declaration calling for the treaties and convent ions described above. Legislation like S. 2433 has already passed the House. After the 2008 election we can expect S. 2433 to move forward with lightning speed.
Those of us fearful of a Barack Obama presidency based on what is already known of his goals can only shudder at falling of the second shoe."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
What do the election results mean to conservatives?
By Bruce Walker
"The results of the 2008 election mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. What do those results mean to conservatives? The results do not mean conservative candidates lose elections. Obama got a big slice of the conservative vote, largely because he portrayed himself as a post-ideological as well as a post-partisan candidate -- and McCain tried to do just the same thing. Ronald Reagan in 1984 was the last man to run as an unabashed conservative, and he won by the last true landslide in an American presidential election.
President Bush, admired for his personal honor and deep faith, was respected by many conservatives, but he was hardly a conservative himself. No man who nominated Harriett Meiers to the Supreme Court could be considered a true conservative. Anyone who could embrace the vision of Ted Kennedy for our national education policy was not a true conservative. Anyone who could create a new entitlement for prescription drugs was not a true conservative.
Bush was simply a decent man who was not a Leftist Democrat. As McCain found out, being a decent man who is not a Leftist Democrat means nothing at all to the Left. Both men, like Bob Dole and like George H. Bush, are good Americans, admirable people, and men blissfully unaware that the Left is not just waging battles on issues like more socialism but are rather waging war on our entire way of life. Bush, Dole, McCain, and Bush Sr. were not wicked failures because they were not conservatives. They were more like Chamberlain at Munich: They did not grasp the true depth and nature of their adversary and, they thought, their adversary might be reasonable.
How far have "conservatives" come from Ronald Reagan's famous maxim "If you can't make them see the light, then let them feel the heat." In other words, conservatives must lead. Or, as Reagan also said "All they can do is hang us from a higher tree." This homey, typical truth trumped all the mush of moderation that brought Republicans in such disrepute over the last ten years or so. Courage is contagious and so is cowardice.
When Republican "leaders" like Trent Lott sabotaged the impeachment trial of a sitting president because they feared political fallout, conservatives cringed. We conservatives, after all, do not involve ourselves in the public arena because of the goodies we might get. That is what Leftists do. We intend to protect the sacred values of the Declaration of Independence, which are utterly nonpartisan (the founding fathers, of course, dreaded political parties) and we do this recalling that the signers of that document risked all in taking their stand for transcendent liberty. Ronald Reagan, a Hollywood star with a starlet wife and lots of money, did not enter politics to get but rather to give. He entered to lead and not to herd. This is what conservatives used to do.
And this is the way conservatives used to talk: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Barry Goldwater defiantly rejected the idea that Leftists could place him on some invented "Far Right." He stood for specific things, which he recorded in books, and which represented an actual platform for conservative ideals. John McCain, the other Republican nominee from Arizona, would never have embraced extremism, even in the defense of liberty. The soft, warm, middle was his true home. The safe, predictable consensus was his real party.
He was in the good company of pleasant and worthwhile citizens like Tom Dewey, Wendel Wilkie, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford. In a world at peace on a planet unscarred by a relentless ideological jihad on our values and our faith, these nice sorts would have made excellent managers of the republic. But war was declared on us long ago, long before September 11.
War was declared on us by militant atheists who sought to deconstruct all our values and to mask their crimes as science. War was declared on us by active, pernicious agents of the Soviet Union who sowed the seeds of racial hatred, gender warfare, and every other discord they could inflame and poison -- they were not in the business of calming and healing. War was declared on us by jealous and irreligious Europeans, who view our faith in anything as hopeless naïveté which it is their pleasure to debunk. War was declared on us by radical Moslems, who saw the version of God which serious Christians and Jews embrace as too loving and too peaceful.
War was declared on us, and the Left here joined the fight against us. War was declared on us, and notional "conservatives" tried to lead us. But, of course, they could not. While Ronald Reagan embarrassed the establishment by calling the Soviet Union an "Evil Empire," our putative conservative nominee would not even raise the malignancy of Jeremiah Wright. While Barry Goldwater nobly challenged federal grasping in 1964, his Arizonan successor called for Washington "solutions" to a Washingtonian financial disease forty-four years later.
What does this mean to conservatives? It means we must choose leaders who believe, even if their cause seems hopeless. It means that we must recall that liberty was not born in our nation in easy ways but at Valley Forge when Washington saw his men's bloody, frostbitten feet as he contemplated the loss of everything he possessed in life if he were to lose. It means remembering that Goldwater was routed in 1964, but came back to the Senate in 1968 with everyone - liberals included -- respected his courage and dignity. It means going back four years to the Reagan Funeral and seeing the long lines of thankful Americans who waited for hours just to say goodbye to the last true leader they had known.
We have hope now. Obama cannot end democracy in America and he probably cannot impose a melancholy quasi-official censorship. Obama can only assume total responsibility for what happens to us over the next two years. Please, conservatives, resist compromise! Make stands upon principle, like Reagan and Goldwater. Take the heart of Washington, the true leader of all conservatives, in fighting for what we believe even if the outcome is uncertain and the struggle is long. Contemplate Churchill in 1940, when he promised to resist rather than parlay with evil.
If we believe in God, then hope is ever certain. If we hold sure and proven laws of human experience, then we know that failed ideas in practice also fail. If we believe in the spirit of the American people and their nation, then we sense that though change comes in elections, the liberty to which we have become accustomed longer than any people in human history cannot be simply crushed.
We fight -- even today -- for our lives and the lives of our children. If we have not had leaders, we must find them. Victory may seem far off. But we can see it still. As another American wrote almost two hundred years ago: "Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner still wave? Ore the land of the free, and the home of the brave." Francis Scott Key, like George Washington, were models of what conservative leaders must be. We had these men once, and we shall have them again."
Bruce Walker is the author of Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie, and the recently published book, The Swastika against the Cross: The Nazi War on Christianity.
"The results of the 2008 election mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. What do those results mean to conservatives? The results do not mean conservative candidates lose elections. Obama got a big slice of the conservative vote, largely because he portrayed himself as a post-ideological as well as a post-partisan candidate -- and McCain tried to do just the same thing. Ronald Reagan in 1984 was the last man to run as an unabashed conservative, and he won by the last true landslide in an American presidential election.
President Bush, admired for his personal honor and deep faith, was respected by many conservatives, but he was hardly a conservative himself. No man who nominated Harriett Meiers to the Supreme Court could be considered a true conservative. Anyone who could embrace the vision of Ted Kennedy for our national education policy was not a true conservative. Anyone who could create a new entitlement for prescription drugs was not a true conservative.
Bush was simply a decent man who was not a Leftist Democrat. As McCain found out, being a decent man who is not a Leftist Democrat means nothing at all to the Left. Both men, like Bob Dole and like George H. Bush, are good Americans, admirable people, and men blissfully unaware that the Left is not just waging battles on issues like more socialism but are rather waging war on our entire way of life. Bush, Dole, McCain, and Bush Sr. were not wicked failures because they were not conservatives. They were more like Chamberlain at Munich: They did not grasp the true depth and nature of their adversary and, they thought, their adversary might be reasonable.
How far have "conservatives" come from Ronald Reagan's famous maxim "If you can't make them see the light, then let them feel the heat." In other words, conservatives must lead. Or, as Reagan also said "All they can do is hang us from a higher tree." This homey, typical truth trumped all the mush of moderation that brought Republicans in such disrepute over the last ten years or so. Courage is contagious and so is cowardice.
When Republican "leaders" like Trent Lott sabotaged the impeachment trial of a sitting president because they feared political fallout, conservatives cringed. We conservatives, after all, do not involve ourselves in the public arena because of the goodies we might get. That is what Leftists do. We intend to protect the sacred values of the Declaration of Independence, which are utterly nonpartisan (the founding fathers, of course, dreaded political parties) and we do this recalling that the signers of that document risked all in taking their stand for transcendent liberty. Ronald Reagan, a Hollywood star with a starlet wife and lots of money, did not enter politics to get but rather to give. He entered to lead and not to herd. This is what conservatives used to do.
And this is the way conservatives used to talk: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Barry Goldwater defiantly rejected the idea that Leftists could place him on some invented "Far Right." He stood for specific things, which he recorded in books, and which represented an actual platform for conservative ideals. John McCain, the other Republican nominee from Arizona, would never have embraced extremism, even in the defense of liberty. The soft, warm, middle was his true home. The safe, predictable consensus was his real party.
He was in the good company of pleasant and worthwhile citizens like Tom Dewey, Wendel Wilkie, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford. In a world at peace on a planet unscarred by a relentless ideological jihad on our values and our faith, these nice sorts would have made excellent managers of the republic. But war was declared on us long ago, long before September 11.
War was declared on us by militant atheists who sought to deconstruct all our values and to mask their crimes as science. War was declared on us by active, pernicious agents of the Soviet Union who sowed the seeds of racial hatred, gender warfare, and every other discord they could inflame and poison -- they were not in the business of calming and healing. War was declared on us by jealous and irreligious Europeans, who view our faith in anything as hopeless naïveté which it is their pleasure to debunk. War was declared on us by radical Moslems, who saw the version of God which serious Christians and Jews embrace as too loving and too peaceful.
War was declared on us, and the Left here joined the fight against us. War was declared on us, and notional "conservatives" tried to lead us. But, of course, they could not. While Ronald Reagan embarrassed the establishment by calling the Soviet Union an "Evil Empire," our putative conservative nominee would not even raise the malignancy of Jeremiah Wright. While Barry Goldwater nobly challenged federal grasping in 1964, his Arizonan successor called for Washington "solutions" to a Washingtonian financial disease forty-four years later.
What does this mean to conservatives? It means we must choose leaders who believe, even if their cause seems hopeless. It means that we must recall that liberty was not born in our nation in easy ways but at Valley Forge when Washington saw his men's bloody, frostbitten feet as he contemplated the loss of everything he possessed in life if he were to lose. It means remembering that Goldwater was routed in 1964, but came back to the Senate in 1968 with everyone - liberals included -- respected his courage and dignity. It means going back four years to the Reagan Funeral and seeing the long lines of thankful Americans who waited for hours just to say goodbye to the last true leader they had known.
We have hope now. Obama cannot end democracy in America and he probably cannot impose a melancholy quasi-official censorship. Obama can only assume total responsibility for what happens to us over the next two years. Please, conservatives, resist compromise! Make stands upon principle, like Reagan and Goldwater. Take the heart of Washington, the true leader of all conservatives, in fighting for what we believe even if the outcome is uncertain and the struggle is long. Contemplate Churchill in 1940, when he promised to resist rather than parlay with evil.
If we believe in God, then hope is ever certain. If we hold sure and proven laws of human experience, then we know that failed ideas in practice also fail. If we believe in the spirit of the American people and their nation, then we sense that though change comes in elections, the liberty to which we have become accustomed longer than any people in human history cannot be simply crushed.
We fight -- even today -- for our lives and the lives of our children. If we have not had leaders, we must find them. Victory may seem far off. But we can see it still. As another American wrote almost two hundred years ago: "Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner still wave? Ore the land of the free, and the home of the brave." Francis Scott Key, like George Washington, were models of what conservative leaders must be. We had these men once, and we shall have them again."
Bruce Walker is the author of Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie, and the recently published book, The Swastika against the Cross: The Nazi War on Christianity.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Evangelicals responsible for Obama victory
November 6, 2008
By Bryan Fischer
"Here's the single most important takeaway from Tuesday's election: evangelical voters are responsible, all by themselves, for putting Sen. Barack Obama into the White House.
A mentor of mine was fond of saying that the church is the secret government of the world, based on Jesus' teaching that his followers are the salt of the earth, arresting the spread of decay, and the light of the world, bringing illumination to a darkened and deceived humanity.
As the church goes, he believed, so the world goes.
According to exit polling data, Sen. Obama, a supporter of unlimited abortion rights and the radical homosexual agenda, did not win a majority of evangelicals in any state in the Union.
Overall, 74% of self-identified evangelical or born-again Christians voted for Sen. McCain, who has a 100% voting record on the pro-life issue and supported the state marriage amendments which were on the ballot in Arizona, California and Florida, all of which won decisively. One quarter of evangelicals voted for Sen. Obama.
In my home state of Idaho, 80% of evangelicals voted for the McCain-Palin ticket, while just 19% voted for the Obama-Biden ticket.
Two things are particularly noteworthy. One, it's amazing all by itself that 25% of evangelicals found some way to justify voting for a presidential candidate who supported infanticide while a state senator in Illinois, wants to overturn every pro-life law in the land as his first order of presidential business, and calls the Defense of Marriage Act an "abhorrent" law which he wants to repeal as soon as he can.
One can only wonder what kind of teaching these evangelicals are getting on morality in public policy from their pulpits. Have they been told that the Bible teaches that, according to Psalm 139 and Luke 1, a woman carries a baby in her womb, and not a blob of tissue? Have they been taught that the Scriptures teach in Genesis 1, Matthew 19, and 1 Corinthians 7 that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that the Scriptures teach in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 5 that homosexual behavior is contrary to nature?
Secondly, it's clear that the simplest path toward recapturing America's moral compass is to create more and better instructed evangelicals.
Evangelicals now comprise 26% of American voters, meaning that of the 120,659,318 votes cast, 31,371,423 of them were cast by evangelicals. This means, bottom line, that 7,842,856 evangelicals cast their votes for Obama.
Sen. Obama's margin of victory in the popular vote was 7,576,856. This, you will note, is less than the number of evangelical votes for Obama. The bottom line, then, is that if all evangelicals had voted according to biblical standards of morality, Sen. McCain would have won the election by 266,000 votes.
Thus the most radical, left-leaning president America has ever had has evangelicals to thank for his elevation to the highest office in the world. He has been put into White House by evangelicals. Evangelicals all by themselves had the power to keep the most liberal senator in United States history out of the Oval Office and did not do so.
If evangelicals had cast their votes according to what they claim are their most deeply held convictions, we would now be talking about Sen. McCain's choice of cabinet members rather than fretting about how it will be possible to stop the pro-abortion, pro-homosexual juggernaut that will be unleashed on America on January 20.
And even assuming voting patterns remained the same, if evangelicals consisted of 37.5% of the electorate instead of just 25%, McCain also would have won. Under that scenario, McCain would have received almost 34 million votes from evangelicals, with Obama receiving just over 11 million, and the difference of 22.5 million votes would have been enough to overcome the 7.5 million vote margin that Obama received on Tuesday.
Bottom line: if we want to salvage the future of this country, all we need are more evangelicals.
The most patriotic thing we can do, both for the kingdom of God and the United States, is to bring our family members and friends into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Evangelism, in other words, is not only our spiritual duty, it is our patriotic duty.
If each of us brings one soul into the kingdom of God over the next four years, the faith community will double in size, and even if teaching in the church does not improve, candidates who respect the Judeo-Christian underpinnings of American history and culture will easily be elevated to office.
Thus the path forward for evangelicals who care deeply about the moral fiber of this country, the soundness of its public policy, and the future of the country we are leaving for our children and grandchildren is quite clear: We should pray and work (in that order) for spiritual awakening to come to America and especially to its churches, and pray and work (in that order) to see that America's pulpits are filled with men who without apology and without compromise preach the word of God."
The Evangelical Electoral Map (Updated) | Christianity Today
© Bryan Fischer
from:
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/fischer/081106
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Culture War and Barack Obama
by Bill O'Reilly
from Townhall.com
Saturday, November 08, 2008
"The fascinating thing about Barack Obama's election is that few Americans seem to know exactly how the man is going to govern. Will he be a Nancy Pelosi enthusiast, a far-left guy? Or will he move to the center like President Clinton did? Even his devoted followers don't really know how he will initially use his power.
There's an old country saying: "You dance with the one who brung ya." Just hours after Obama's victory, the far-left MoveOn outfit issued a press release saying that during the campaign it had raised an astounding $88 million on behalf of the president-elect. The timing of MoveOn's statement was no accident: It was a subtle reminder that payback is expected.
For far-left zealots, the goal is a European-like entitlement culture where the feds provide direct assistance to those without a lot of money. In countries like France and Sweden, there are no demands placed upon those receiving government money; cradle-to-grave financial support is given to anyone earning less than a certain amount. If you want to gamble all day or drink vodka until your legs give out, fine -- you still get the check, the housing, the medical care.
Traditionally, Americans have rejected that kind of nanny state. But make no mistake: That is what the far left see as "economic justice."
And then there are "San Francisco values." That is the George Soros vision of legalized narcotics and prostitution, unfettered abortion rights, legalized euthanasia, and gay marriage, to name just a few social issues. Soros, a big-time contributor to MoveOn, believes America should be a libertine society where moral judgments about social behavior are unacceptable.
Where will Obama stand on those issues? He says he personally opposes gay marriage, but I can't imagine him working against it. He's also fine with abortion in cases where the health of the mother is an issue. Of course, the health of the mother could be a panic attack or a headache. Based on his voting record in the past, I expect Obama to be extremely liberal when social legislation is presented to him. I also expect Ruth Bader Ginsburg to have a new best friend if a Supreme Court opening occurs.
However, if Obama tacks to the left on entitlements and the controversial social issues, his appeal to working Americans might quickly diminish -- especially if the economy doesn't turn around. Even while Obama was winning liberal California, voters were overturning the gay marriage law imposed upon them by activist judges. The United States is still a center-right country when it comes to traditional values.
I believe Obama and his advisers understand that. But I am also sure that the MoveOn brigades and devoted liberal media outlets are hungry for more "progressive" change. This is a dicey situation for the newly elected president. The words "rock" and "hard place" come to mind."
from Townhall.com
Saturday, November 08, 2008
"The fascinating thing about Barack Obama's election is that few Americans seem to know exactly how the man is going to govern. Will he be a Nancy Pelosi enthusiast, a far-left guy? Or will he move to the center like President Clinton did? Even his devoted followers don't really know how he will initially use his power.
There's an old country saying: "You dance with the one who brung ya." Just hours after Obama's victory, the far-left MoveOn outfit issued a press release saying that during the campaign it had raised an astounding $88 million on behalf of the president-elect. The timing of MoveOn's statement was no accident: It was a subtle reminder that payback is expected.
For far-left zealots, the goal is a European-like entitlement culture where the feds provide direct assistance to those without a lot of money. In countries like France and Sweden, there are no demands placed upon those receiving government money; cradle-to-grave financial support is given to anyone earning less than a certain amount. If you want to gamble all day or drink vodka until your legs give out, fine -- you still get the check, the housing, the medical care.
Traditionally, Americans have rejected that kind of nanny state. But make no mistake: That is what the far left see as "economic justice."
And then there are "San Francisco values." That is the George Soros vision of legalized narcotics and prostitution, unfettered abortion rights, legalized euthanasia, and gay marriage, to name just a few social issues. Soros, a big-time contributor to MoveOn, believes America should be a libertine society where moral judgments about social behavior are unacceptable.
Where will Obama stand on those issues? He says he personally opposes gay marriage, but I can't imagine him working against it. He's also fine with abortion in cases where the health of the mother is an issue. Of course, the health of the mother could be a panic attack or a headache. Based on his voting record in the past, I expect Obama to be extremely liberal when social legislation is presented to him. I also expect Ruth Bader Ginsburg to have a new best friend if a Supreme Court opening occurs.
However, if Obama tacks to the left on entitlements and the controversial social issues, his appeal to working Americans might quickly diminish -- especially if the economy doesn't turn around. Even while Obama was winning liberal California, voters were overturning the gay marriage law imposed upon them by activist judges. The United States is still a center-right country when it comes to traditional values.
I believe Obama and his advisers understand that. But I am also sure that the MoveOn brigades and devoted liberal media outlets are hungry for more "progressive" change. This is a dicey situation for the newly elected president. The words "rock" and "hard place" come to mind."
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Ten Ways To Pray For Obama
Personally, I do not see how any born-again Christian could vote for Obama. Obama said he will teach sex education to kindergartners. He is for gay marriage. He said he will remove all remaining laws regarding abortion, making any and every type of abortion legal in the U.S. His affections are strongly toward Africa and Islam, and he has refused to salute the American flag or wear a flag pin (until he was coerced to do so). IMO, I think he is far more liberal than Bill Clinton ever was, and I tend to think that is only the tip of the iceberg. I wonder exactly what radical "CHANGE"es he is going to implement, and I suspect that, for the most part at least, they will be very, very bad changes. But only time will tell, and much of my suspicions are merely conjecture and guessing at this point. No matter what, the fact is that Barack Hussein Obama is now President of the United States. And, in light of that, I think the following article by J. Lee Grady of "Charisma" magazine puts things in right perspective:
Fire In My Bones
By J. Lee Grady
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
http://fireinmybones.com/
10 Ways to Pray for Barack Obama
Whether you are happy about this week’s election results or not, all Christians must unite in prayer for our new president. Please don’t forsake this responsibility.
It’s over. We’ve reached the end of the longest, angriest and most nerve-wracking presidential campaign in American history. Finally the “I approved this message” ads have ceased. The endless robot phone calls have stopped ringing. The debates, and the annoying post-debate comments from “experts,” are history—until the next election cycle.
More than half the nation is celebrating today while others are mourning. We are a divided nation, split into unhappy fragments by abortion, gay marriage, global warming, a failed economy and an unpopular war. Those who voted for Barack Obama have claimed a historic victory; some on McCain’s side are already looking for scapegoats. Politics is politics.
But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the Bible says “the nations are like a drop from a bucket” to God (Is. 40:15, NASB). That includes the United States. We may boast about being “the greatest nation on earth,” but He who sits in heaven has a different perspective. Let’s take a big sigh of relief now and remember that God is sovereign.
I’ll admit this election did not turn out as I had hoped. I supported McCain primarily because I am pro-life and I prefer his small-government mindset. But now that the election is over, I’m not going to harbor bitterness toward Obama supporters or go into attack mode. Obama has been elected president of this country, and that means I have a biblical responsibility to support him in prayer—even if I challenge his policies.
Whether you voted for Obama or not, you need to pray for him. Here are 10 ways I plan to intercede for him regularly:
1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry.
2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father.
3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace.
4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride.
5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle.
6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue.
7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart.
8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel.
9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culture—from Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia—would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear.
10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
from: http://fireinmybones.com/
Fire In My Bones
By J. Lee Grady
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
http://fireinmybones.com/
10 Ways to Pray for Barack Obama
Whether you are happy about this week’s election results or not, all Christians must unite in prayer for our new president. Please don’t forsake this responsibility.
It’s over. We’ve reached the end of the longest, angriest and most nerve-wracking presidential campaign in American history. Finally the “I approved this message” ads have ceased. The endless robot phone calls have stopped ringing. The debates, and the annoying post-debate comments from “experts,” are history—until the next election cycle.
More than half the nation is celebrating today while others are mourning. We are a divided nation, split into unhappy fragments by abortion, gay marriage, global warming, a failed economy and an unpopular war. Those who voted for Barack Obama have claimed a historic victory; some on McCain’s side are already looking for scapegoats. Politics is politics.
But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the Bible says “the nations are like a drop from a bucket” to God (Is. 40:15, NASB). That includes the United States. We may boast about being “the greatest nation on earth,” but He who sits in heaven has a different perspective. Let’s take a big sigh of relief now and remember that God is sovereign.
I’ll admit this election did not turn out as I had hoped. I supported McCain primarily because I am pro-life and I prefer his small-government mindset. But now that the election is over, I’m not going to harbor bitterness toward Obama supporters or go into attack mode. Obama has been elected president of this country, and that means I have a biblical responsibility to support him in prayer—even if I challenge his policies.
Whether you voted for Obama or not, you need to pray for him. Here are 10 ways I plan to intercede for him regularly:
1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry.
2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father.
3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace.
4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride.
5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle.
6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue.
7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart.
8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel.
9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culture—from Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia—would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear.
10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
from: http://fireinmybones.com/
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Pornography
Pornography Time Statistics
Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography
Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines
Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States
(from Internet Pornography Statistics)
Men are the primary users of pornography! Why? Men are stimulated sexually by sight. Jesus gave the warning in Matthew 5:28, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
The first look may be unavoidable. Of course the enemy often uses surprise to catch one off guard. The movie industry has learned to slip in the seductive looking woman into the men's adventure series. The advertising agencies know that sex sells. The internet offers pornography at the click of a mouse button. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to avoid the first glance.
Next, come the curious look to fill the eyes with as much bare flesh as possible. However, the Word says that the eyes are never filled. "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Proverbs 27:20). The more that a man sees, the more that he desires to see. This second look, though a conscious decision, is often excused as being just curiosity.
The third look goes beyond the vision of the eyes. This look may be even taken with the eyes closed. It is a look that goes beyond the clothing. It is an imaginary look. The man begins to undress the woman in his mind. However, pornography doesn't leave this look to the imagination. It displays nudity before one's eyes.
The fourth look which may also originate in the imagination is imagined acts of sexual aggression, foreplay, and the sexual act itself. Again, the so called hard-core pornography displays this before the eyes on paper, video, or voice word pictures. Then the man only has to put himself in the role of the aggressor or participant.
The Addiction
In the natural, the addiction to pornography is very difficult to break. Here are some reasons.
1. It is the misuse of a natural God-given desire and is often excused as just being "natural".
2. The initial stimuli is difficult to avoid.
3. When one looks at pornography, the video or magazine figures don't look back with disgust.
4. It is often accepted as being the norm for men. ("Men will be men").
5. It is often connected with sexual gratification. (Either by self-gratification or with a partner).
6. It carries often unseen guilt with it that also has to be dealt with.
Steps in Overcoming the addiction
1. First, the individual must come to acknowledge that the addiction exists. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
2. He must recognize that what he is doing is wrong. He may hate other sins but justify this one. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate" (Proverbs 8:13).
3. He must not blame others. "If my wife was just more affectionate." "If women were not so seductive." Adam blamed Eve blamed the serpent. Instead, the one who is addicted must begin to take responsibility to make corrections. Job said, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1).
4. He must learn the fear of the LORD. Fear of the LORD is a conscious knowledge that God disciplines his children and there will be a consequence for his sin. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
5. He must learn to flee temptation. "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:15). "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (I Corinthian 6:18). "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Timothy 2:22). Self-deception may enter in where one thinks he can play with fire without getting burned. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27-28).
6. He must recognize that "will power" is not the answer. At a weak moment, he "will" give in. " "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Romans 7:18). In contrast, for the Believer, he has access to the will of God and power of God. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). He must yield his will to God's will and be obedient by the power of God. See: "Training The Flesh".
7. He must engraft the Word of God concerning sexual purity. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). To engraft means to memorize and meditate upon it until it becomes a reality in one's life. "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman" (Proverbs 6:23-24).
8. He must destroy any pornography in his possession. "Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places" (Numbers 33:52). Remember pornography is a substitute for truth.
9. He must understand and recognize that his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (For the Believer) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
10. He must learn to submit himself to God and resist the devil. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). One must understand that it not just what NOT to do, but also what TO do. Furthermore, the authority to stand must come from submission to the authority of God and those under His authority.
11. He must make himself accountable to a spiritual authority (pastor, elder, or church leader). "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Hebrew 13:17). When someone has to face regular questioning about his tendency toward the addiction, it may make him think twice before pursuing it.
(the above is from http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/sexual/pornaddict.html)
Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography
Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines
Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States
(from Internet Pornography Statistics)
Men are the primary users of pornography! Why? Men are stimulated sexually by sight. Jesus gave the warning in Matthew 5:28, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
The first look may be unavoidable. Of course the enemy often uses surprise to catch one off guard. The movie industry has learned to slip in the seductive looking woman into the men's adventure series. The advertising agencies know that sex sells. The internet offers pornography at the click of a mouse button. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to avoid the first glance.
Next, come the curious look to fill the eyes with as much bare flesh as possible. However, the Word says that the eyes are never filled. "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Proverbs 27:20). The more that a man sees, the more that he desires to see. This second look, though a conscious decision, is often excused as being just curiosity.
The third look goes beyond the vision of the eyes. This look may be even taken with the eyes closed. It is a look that goes beyond the clothing. It is an imaginary look. The man begins to undress the woman in his mind. However, pornography doesn't leave this look to the imagination. It displays nudity before one's eyes.
The fourth look which may also originate in the imagination is imagined acts of sexual aggression, foreplay, and the sexual act itself. Again, the so called hard-core pornography displays this before the eyes on paper, video, or voice word pictures. Then the man only has to put himself in the role of the aggressor or participant.
The Addiction
In the natural, the addiction to pornography is very difficult to break. Here are some reasons.
1. It is the misuse of a natural God-given desire and is often excused as just being "natural".
2. The initial stimuli is difficult to avoid.
3. When one looks at pornography, the video or magazine figures don't look back with disgust.
4. It is often accepted as being the norm for men. ("Men will be men").
5. It is often connected with sexual gratification. (Either by self-gratification or with a partner).
6. It carries often unseen guilt with it that also has to be dealt with.
Steps in Overcoming the addiction
1. First, the individual must come to acknowledge that the addiction exists. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
2. He must recognize that what he is doing is wrong. He may hate other sins but justify this one. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate" (Proverbs 8:13).
3. He must not blame others. "If my wife was just more affectionate." "If women were not so seductive." Adam blamed Eve blamed the serpent. Instead, the one who is addicted must begin to take responsibility to make corrections. Job said, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1).
4. He must learn the fear of the LORD. Fear of the LORD is a conscious knowledge that God disciplines his children and there will be a consequence for his sin. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
5. He must learn to flee temptation. "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:15). "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (I Corinthian 6:18). "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Timothy 2:22). Self-deception may enter in where one thinks he can play with fire without getting burned. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27-28).
6. He must recognize that "will power" is not the answer. At a weak moment, he "will" give in. " "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Romans 7:18). In contrast, for the Believer, he has access to the will of God and power of God. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). He must yield his will to God's will and be obedient by the power of God. See: "Training The Flesh".
7. He must engraft the Word of God concerning sexual purity. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). To engraft means to memorize and meditate upon it until it becomes a reality in one's life. "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman" (Proverbs 6:23-24).
8. He must destroy any pornography in his possession. "Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places" (Numbers 33:52). Remember pornography is a substitute for truth.
9. He must understand and recognize that his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (For the Believer) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
10. He must learn to submit himself to God and resist the devil. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). One must understand that it not just what NOT to do, but also what TO do. Furthermore, the authority to stand must come from submission to the authority of God and those under His authority.
11. He must make himself accountable to a spiritual authority (pastor, elder, or church leader). "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Hebrew 13:17). When someone has to face regular questioning about his tendency toward the addiction, it may make him think twice before pursuing it.
(the above is from http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/sexual/pornaddict.html)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Adultery
There are two types of adultery spoken of in the Bible:
1. SEXUAL ADULTERY—"Conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had sexual intercourse with a woman he was not married to, either a married woman or one who was engaged to be married. A woman who did the same thing was an adulteress. Adultery is fornication. The Bible regards adultery as a great sin and a great social wrong. It has been inferred from John 8:1-11 that this sin became very common during the age preceding the destruction of Jerusalem."
Author: Matthew G. Easton.
Adultery without sexual intercourse—Jesus Christ warned, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." As with the breaking of any of the Ten Commandments, those who are not washed in the blood of Jesus Christ will have to pay the penalty. They will not enter the Kingdom of God. Punishment for transgression of this Commandment is the death penalty.
Author: Ray Comfort.
2. SPIRITUAL ADULTERY—Idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as spiritual adultery (Jer. 3:6,8,9; Ezek. 16:32; Hos. 1:2:3; Rev. 2:22). An apostate church is an adulteress (Isa. 1:21; Ezek. 23:4,7, 37), and the Jews are described "an adulterous generation" (Matt. 12:39) (compare Rev. 12.)
(the above is from: http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/adultery.html)
Lust Part 1
Lust Part 2
Lust Part 3
Fornication
Hebrew: zanah / Greek: porneia
Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married to each other. Adultery is one type of fornication.
In every form, fornication was sternly condemned by the Mosaic law among God's people, the Israelites (Lev. 21:9; 19:29; Deut. 22:20-11, 23-29; 23:18; Ex. 22:16). (See ADULTERY.)
Fornication is also mentioned many times in the New Testament (Matt. 5:32; 19:9; John 8:41; Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25; Rom. 1:29; 1 Cor 5:1, 6:13, 18, 7:2; 10:8; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Jude 1:7; Rev. 2:14, 20-21; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2,4).
"The Greek word for 'fornication' (porneia) could include any sexual sin committed after the betrothal contract. …In Biblical usage, 'fornication' can mean any sexual congress outside monogamous marriage. It thus includes not only premarital sex, but also adultery, homosexual acts, incest, remarriage after un-Biblical divorce, and sexual acts with animals, all of which are explicitly forbidden in the law as given through Moses (Leviticus 20:10-21). Christ expanded the prohibition against adultery to include even sexual lusting (Matthew 5:28)." (Dr. Henry M. Morris)
The word "fornication" is sometimes used in a symbolic sense in the Bible, for example, meaning a forsaking of God or a following after idols (Isa. 1:2; Jer. 2:20; Ezek. 16; Hos. 1:2; 2:1-5; Jer. 3:8-9).
(the above is from: http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/fornication.html)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Lust
Overcoming Lust
Every day, television, movies, billboards, newspapers and magazines bombard us with lustful images. And when lustful thoughts become part of our lifestyle, we feel like prisoners to those controlling desires.
But God does not want us to suffer in the prison of lust. He offers hope and freedom when we turn to Him for help to understand the truth behind the lies of lust.
The Roots Of Lust
Lust has been with mankind throughout history. In fact, at the creation of the world, God met Adam and Eve's basic needs for food, companionship and protection. Yet He put one thing out of their reach to test their love for Him - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17).
Due to lust, they failed God's test. Satan tempted Eve by telling her that God was holding back something good. She and Adam, through lust, ate the forbidden fruit. As a result, they subjected all mankind to God's curse (Genesis 3:6, Genesis 3:16-19).
A Thirst For More
The roots of lust run so deep that it is almost instinctive. And once we begin to fulfill our own lusts, a vicious cycle begins. Sin breaks our relationship with God (Romans 1:24-32). We become numb to lust's impact, so we think we can lust even more.
That is the very nature of lust: an unquenchable thirst for more and more ... More money, fame, power, revenge, food, clothing, love. Unless our desires are turned over to the Lord, we will never be satisfied.
Quenching The Thirst
If you have been searching in vain for fulfillment through the things of this world, then now is the time to discover the answer to the greatest desire in your life.
The Bible says that our greatest need is to worship God. This is why we were created (Colossians 1:16). But sin has separated us from God (Romans 3:23) and only through Jesus can we be forgiven of our sins and restored to God.
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life! ... Without me, no one can go to the Father" (John 14:6). If you have never given your life to Jesus - and made Him Lord of your deepest desires - then do so now. REPENT (turn away) from your sins, desire to do them no more, desire to follow Jesus with all your heart, and pray and ask Jesus to come into your life by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:9,10).
The Daily Battle
Due to our fallen nature, we will have to deal with lust until we die. The temptation to lust will come in many forms. There are external lusts, including ungodly sexual appetites and overindulgence in food and drink; and there are internal lusts, such as the lust of power, fame or position.
Therefore, we who are born-again believers must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit inside us to overcome lust every day. "Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear. Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires" (Romans 13:14)
No matter the form of lust we face, we can be assured that we have an Advocate who "understands every weakness of ours" and "was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
Victory over Lust
God does not want you to be a prisoner of lust. The Bible says, "Christ has set us free! (Galatians 5:1). We who are saved have assurance from our Lord that he will help us to battle lust (Romans 8:31-32). Try these practical steps and ask God to lead you to victory.
Ask God for help. Sometimes we are too ashamed to take this first step. Don't try to fight the battle of lust on your own. Go to God and ask Him for help. This is what humility is all about.
Die to lust. The Bible says "sin does not have power over dead people" (Romans 6:7). So to overcome lust, we must recognize that "the person we used to be was nailed to the cross with Jesus" (Romans 6:5). Of course, we are not actually nailed to the cross. We just recognize that our old way of life died with Jesus. When we understand what it means to be dead to sin, we will then find freedom from lust.
Walk in the Spirit. The next step is to submit your life to the Holy Spirit. "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires" (Galatians 5:16). Remember, you can't fight lust on your own, so ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
Renew your mind. Focus on God's Word and allow Him to remove your lustful thoughts and actions (Romans 12:2). Put away everything that appeals to the flesh, and focus on God (Ephesians 4:17-24; 2 Corinthians 10:5).
Resist and flee. Perhaps the best advice all is simply this: Run! Don't allow lust to linger in your mind. Get far away from situations and influences that threaten to trap you (Proverbs 5:8; James 4:7-8).
Pray
"Dear Heavenly Father, I can't deal with lust apart from you. Please forgive me and cleanse me from my sin. And please replace my lustful desires with Your desires for my life, so that I can glorify You in everything I do. Thank You. In Jesus' name, Amen"
God's Word On Lust
"Don't love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you cannot love the Father. Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything see. None of this comes from the Father. The world and the desires it causes are disappearing. But if we obey God, we will live forever" (1 John 2:15-17).
Scriptures For Study
James 4:1-4
The origins of lust
Romans 7:14-25
Our struggle with lust
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Consequences of lust
Romans 6:12-23; James 4:5-8
Freedom in Christ
(the above is from: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/teachingsheets/keys-Overcoming_Lust.aspx)
Ten Points on Destroying Lust
There are many principles revealed in the Bible for destroying lust. It’s usually not as simple as, "Just don’t do it." The main principle is that through Jesus Christ, we gain supernatural power to put lust to death. With that in mind, I've listed 10 points on destroying lust below. I encourage you to study each one and consider how you can apply it in your life.
1. Confess, repent from, and renounce your sin of lust to God.
2. Make no provision to fulfill lust: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Romans 13:14 NKJV)
3. Walk by the Spirit: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16 NKJV)
4. Put lust to death by the power of the Holy Spirit: "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13 NKJV) (see also Colossians 3:5)
5. Reckon yourself with Jesus - alive to God and dead to sin: "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24 NIV) (also Colossians 3:5 and Romans 6)
6. Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace: "Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV)
7. Deny lust and live righteously: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13 NKJV)
8. Invest your time, energy and efforts in God’s will, not in lust: "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2 NKJV)
9. Apply the truth to the lies: (John 8:31-32, Psalm 51:6).
10. Submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:7-10 NKJV)
(the above is from: http://www.porn-free.org/lust_ten_points.htm)
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