The main difference between sexual sin, such as pornography and fornication, and other types of vices is that it shackles the mind. The alcoholic can remember the taste of fine liquor, its intoxicating aroma, and the euphoria that comes from imbibing, but the memory will not make him drunk. The thief can remember the exhilaration from stealing, the feeling of taking money or objects from someone without their knowing, but the memory will not put ten dollars into his hand. And, the glutton can remember wonderful cuisine and overindulging in eating, but the memory will not spontaneously make him gain weight.
Yet for a person whose mind has been tainted by the sight of images of people engaged in all sorts of debauchery or the personal experiences of promiscuity, all it takes is one errant glance, one hint of perfume, or one glancing touch to flood the mind with those vivid memories and engage in adultery in the heart. While other sins are public and require some physical or verbal action, the theater of thought can provide a most wicked stage that can be viewed independently of anyone in proximity to the sinner being remotely aware of what lust is traipsing its way across the brain. Even a passing moment of engaging in wrongful desire can imprint a fantasy that can be replayed again and again for decades.
Flee sexual sin with all your might. Flee as Joseph did when Potiphar's wife tried accosting him. Flee the chances to see Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop at night. Run with all your strength in the opposite direction as hard and fast as you possibly can so that you may never have an occasion for your mental faculties to be compromised and plague you for the rest of your life.
And if you happen to be one who has the nightmares of your sexual sins cross your thoughts on a daily basis, flee to the Savior. He is the only one who can lighten, blot out, and erase those sensations from your mind. He will free you from your past and save your soul from Hell itself.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Do You Understand Levi's Name?
One thing I love about my church is its evangelistic focus and outreach. We care so much about the souls of people in our town that late every Sunday afternoon, the church gathers together at our pastor's house for prayer. Then. we pick up materials and go door-to-door throughout the town, giving them to people or sticking them on their front porches along the way.
I love doing this with my family, especially. It's great having time to relax and take a walk around town, doing God's work. We usually split into two groups to hit both sides of the street at once and make games out of giving out tracts to keep the kids going.
And, yesterday was a perfect day to go out. It was warm and sunny, and tons of people were sitting on their front porches, chatting with neighbors, and watching their kids play in their front yards. I was surprised by how many people were taking walks or taking their children to the local parks. For every two or three houses we visited, there was at least one person nearby.
After we finished one cul-de-sac, there was a family coming up the hill to where we just were. Mom and dad were walking along while a very proud grandma was pushing her new grandson in a stroller. When they came near, we greeted them and gave them some cards inviting them to our church's two year anniversary service next weekend (Hey, free lunch!).
We started making some small talk about their baby, because for being just three months old, that kid had a head of hair that would make some newscasters and weathermen jealous. I mean, Rod Blagojevich would say, "Wow, that is a lot of hair." Then we asked what they decided to name him. His mom said that they named him, "Levi."
I asked the mom if she knew the origin of her child's name. She knew it was a Bible name, but said that her mom (grandma) would be able to answer it better. God couldn't have teed up a more perfect opportunity to share the Gospel, and grandma was smiling because I think she, too, as a believer, knew what was going to happen next.
I explained how Levi was one of the sons of Jacob, along with his eleven other brothers. And I told her about how the tribe of Levi had such and important role in offering the sacrifices for the people of Israel. When I asked mom if she knew why they did this, she said, "No."
(Image courtesy Wikipedia)
I shared how the sacrifices were a covering for sin for those people at that time. But I made it relevant to mom because I talked about sins like lying, stealing, blasphemy, and adulterous thoughts--things that people still commit today. And I explained how God's justice means that when He judges people, it will be against His perfect standard.
Then I transitioned the message into Jesus Christ, and how He wasn't just the sacrifice to cover sins, but the sacrifice that forgave sins and took God's wrath on His shoulders. And I finished up by explaining how people who believe this need to repent of their sins and trust in Christ.
It was a great, pleasant conversation, and wonderful being able to explain it to her family. They had just moved into the neighborhood and had been attending another church in town, but were checking things out overall. I recommended that they should come to my church to hear more preaching like this and get to learn the Bible more. They thanked all of us, and went on their way to their home.
I always recommend finding those great areas to bridge off and share the Gospel. Sometimes God serves them up so easily like they did with Levi's name, and sometimes you might just have to interrupt and say, "Hey, I want to share something completely unrelated with you." But know that we're always called to share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) and don't wait for the, "perfect opportunity," that may never come.
I love doing this with my family, especially. It's great having time to relax and take a walk around town, doing God's work. We usually split into two groups to hit both sides of the street at once and make games out of giving out tracts to keep the kids going.
And, yesterday was a perfect day to go out. It was warm and sunny, and tons of people were sitting on their front porches, chatting with neighbors, and watching their kids play in their front yards. I was surprised by how many people were taking walks or taking their children to the local parks. For every two or three houses we visited, there was at least one person nearby.
After we finished one cul-de-sac, there was a family coming up the hill to where we just were. Mom and dad were walking along while a very proud grandma was pushing her new grandson in a stroller. When they came near, we greeted them and gave them some cards inviting them to our church's two year anniversary service next weekend (Hey, free lunch!).
We started making some small talk about their baby, because for being just three months old, that kid had a head of hair that would make some newscasters and weathermen jealous. I mean, Rod Blagojevich would say, "Wow, that is a lot of hair." Then we asked what they decided to name him. His mom said that they named him, "Levi."
I asked the mom if she knew the origin of her child's name. She knew it was a Bible name, but said that her mom (grandma) would be able to answer it better. God couldn't have teed up a more perfect opportunity to share the Gospel, and grandma was smiling because I think she, too, as a believer, knew what was going to happen next.
I explained how Levi was one of the sons of Jacob, along with his eleven other brothers. And I told her about how the tribe of Levi had such and important role in offering the sacrifices for the people of Israel. When I asked mom if she knew why they did this, she said, "No."
(Image courtesy Wikipedia)
I shared how the sacrifices were a covering for sin for those people at that time. But I made it relevant to mom because I talked about sins like lying, stealing, blasphemy, and adulterous thoughts--things that people still commit today. And I explained how God's justice means that when He judges people, it will be against His perfect standard.
Then I transitioned the message into Jesus Christ, and how He wasn't just the sacrifice to cover sins, but the sacrifice that forgave sins and took God's wrath on His shoulders. And I finished up by explaining how people who believe this need to repent of their sins and trust in Christ.
It was a great, pleasant conversation, and wonderful being able to explain it to her family. They had just moved into the neighborhood and had been attending another church in town, but were checking things out overall. I recommended that they should come to my church to hear more preaching like this and get to learn the Bible more. They thanked all of us, and went on their way to their home.
I always recommend finding those great areas to bridge off and share the Gospel. Sometimes God serves them up so easily like they did with Levi's name, and sometimes you might just have to interrupt and say, "Hey, I want to share something completely unrelated with you." But know that we're always called to share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) and don't wait for the, "perfect opportunity," that may never come.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Battle of The Mormons, Round 1
There's nothing quite like preaching on the streets when you can tell someone wants to hurt you. When someone is standing just a few feet away from you and you can almost tangibly feel their anger rippling through the air. It's been a long while since I've had an encounter like that, but that is exactly what happened on Monday at the skate park.
There were a surprising number of parents watching their kids that afternoon. I made the rounds giving out water and talking to them here and there when I came across a mother sitting on one of the stone planters, reading a book. As I struck up a conversation with the intent of sharing the Gospel, she said that she was a Mormon.
Because Mormons tend to believe that they worship the same deity that Christians do, I had to change the conversation. I started off by focusing on how they believe that they will try their hardest and Jesus will make up the difference. Then, I swung to how we have two different Jesuses. And, as I started wrapping up, I pointed out what the Bible said about the afterlife. That was when her husband walked up.
He was a big dude, about 6'5" and full of muscles, with a shaved head. He reminded me of a movie tough guy, with a subtle accent and the mannerisms of someone who lived on the east coast. Obviously, he wasn't happy that I had been speaking to his wife, and particularly when I warned her about how believing in a false Christ would lead her to Hell. Although he kept his volume down pretty well, and didn't threaten me directly, it was clear that he was mad and I wasn't sure if things would get physical or not.
I kept my cool, too. I agreed with him that if I saw a man talking to my wife about matters of faith, I would introduce myself to the fellow as well. But I wouldn't back down at all on the truth of the Gospel and kept pressing the point to them.
While our conversation got circular pretty quick, there were some good exchanges worth noting:
--
Him: "You know, we Mormons will never come to your house and tell you that you're going to Hell."
Me: "I know. That's because you have an incorrect view of the afterlife."
--
Me: "You and I worship two different Jesuses."
Him: "No, we don't."
Me: "Do you believe that Jesus is a created being?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "Do you believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "Okay, we have two different Jesuses."
--
Me: "If I die and what you believe is true, I will go to the lowest level of Heaven and have a chance to hear the Mormon gospel again (and I would be pretty dumb to not pick it at that point)."
Him: "Yes."
Me: "And if what I believe is true, you will face an angry God who will judge you and send you to Hell."
--
Him: "You have to admit, there's a big difference between lying and stealing, adultery, and murder."
Me: "James 2:10 says that if you break the Law in one point, but keep all the rest, you're a law breaker and will be judged by that. Do you disagree with the Bible here?"
Him: "Yes."
--
Me: "1 Corinthians 6:9 says that no idolater can make it to Heaven."
Him: "Are you saying that I'm an idolater because I worship differently than you?"
Me: "Yes, I am."
--
Him: "Do you realize how rude it is to talk to some guy's wife and tell her she's going to Hell?"
Me: "But is it true, or not?"
--
Him: "What about all the people in Bora Bora who never hear the Gospel, but live otherwise good lives?"
Me: "Have they committed sins?"
Him: "Well, yes."
Me: "Then they're not good."
Him: "But they've never heard about Jesus!"
Me: "People go to Hell because they sin against God, not because they've never heard of Jesus. They have Creation and a conscience to tell them that there's a God, and they choose to do evil anyway."
--
His Wife (wrapping things up): "I know you believe something different than us, and I'm okay with that."
Me: "I'm not! Because what I believe will have horrible consequences for you."
There were a surprising number of parents watching their kids that afternoon. I made the rounds giving out water and talking to them here and there when I came across a mother sitting on one of the stone planters, reading a book. As I struck up a conversation with the intent of sharing the Gospel, she said that she was a Mormon.
Because Mormons tend to believe that they worship the same deity that Christians do, I had to change the conversation. I started off by focusing on how they believe that they will try their hardest and Jesus will make up the difference. Then, I swung to how we have two different Jesuses. And, as I started wrapping up, I pointed out what the Bible said about the afterlife. That was when her husband walked up.
He was a big dude, about 6'5" and full of muscles, with a shaved head. He reminded me of a movie tough guy, with a subtle accent and the mannerisms of someone who lived on the east coast. Obviously, he wasn't happy that I had been speaking to his wife, and particularly when I warned her about how believing in a false Christ would lead her to Hell. Although he kept his volume down pretty well, and didn't threaten me directly, it was clear that he was mad and I wasn't sure if things would get physical or not.
I kept my cool, too. I agreed with him that if I saw a man talking to my wife about matters of faith, I would introduce myself to the fellow as well. But I wouldn't back down at all on the truth of the Gospel and kept pressing the point to them.
While our conversation got circular pretty quick, there were some good exchanges worth noting:
--
Him: "You know, we Mormons will never come to your house and tell you that you're going to Hell."
Me: "I know. That's because you have an incorrect view of the afterlife."
--
Me: "You and I worship two different Jesuses."
Him: "No, we don't."
Me: "Do you believe that Jesus is a created being?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "Do you believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers?"
Him: "Yes."
Me: "Okay, we have two different Jesuses."
--
Me: "If I die and what you believe is true, I will go to the lowest level of Heaven and have a chance to hear the Mormon gospel again (and I would be pretty dumb to not pick it at that point)."
Him: "Yes."
Me: "And if what I believe is true, you will face an angry God who will judge you and send you to Hell."
--
Him: "You have to admit, there's a big difference between lying and stealing, adultery, and murder."
Me: "James 2:10 says that if you break the Law in one point, but keep all the rest, you're a law breaker and will be judged by that. Do you disagree with the Bible here?"
Him: "Yes."
--
Me: "1 Corinthians 6:9 says that no idolater can make it to Heaven."
Him: "Are you saying that I'm an idolater because I worship differently than you?"
Me: "Yes, I am."
--
Him: "Do you realize how rude it is to talk to some guy's wife and tell her she's going to Hell?"
Me: "But is it true, or not?"
--
Him: "What about all the people in Bora Bora who never hear the Gospel, but live otherwise good lives?"
Me: "Have they committed sins?"
Him: "Well, yes."
Me: "Then they're not good."
Him: "But they've never heard about Jesus!"
Me: "People go to Hell because they sin against God, not because they've never heard of Jesus. They have Creation and a conscience to tell them that there's a God, and they choose to do evil anyway."
--
His Wife (wrapping things up): "I know you believe something different than us, and I'm okay with that."
Me: "I'm not! Because what I believe will have horrible consequences for you."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)