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Comment by Brooklynnite 4 Life on October 31, 2009 at 11:16pm

The Voice Behind the Word
The Hidden Wisdom of God

Although God has promised victory for every Believer, it is not uncommon to experience moments when our faith is under attack. During these times, we tend to wonder if we will ever receive real answers to our prayers, and we may ask ourselves, How can I tap into the hidden wisdom of God that will bring forth my breakthrough? The key is hearing God’s voice behind His written Word.

To identify God’s voice, we must actively communicate with Him. If we want to hear from Him, we must fellowship with Him through regular meditation on His Word and consistent prayer. As Believers who have been filled with the Holy Spirit, we can also speak to God by praying in tongues. Through praying in the Spirit, we speak the very mysteries that could unlock the answers to the situations we face in life!

Speaking in tongues is not just babbling. It is an intimate form of communication with God. First Corinthians 2:7 says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory....” According to 1 Corinthians 14:2, when you speak in tongues, you are speaking directly to God in a Heavenly language! Each time you pray in the spirit, hidden wisdom is revealed, and you allow the Holy Spirit to show you things that are hidden from everyone else—even the devil.

There is something powerful that happens when we spend time praying in tongues. It is often during the quiet times that follow that we hear the voice of God speaking truth and wisdom directly from Heaven. You may be driving your car or ironing your clothes one day, for example, and the Holy Spirit will give you the revelation you need during those intimate moments with the Lord.

You will experience great success in your life when you clearly hear the voice of God. Most people can read the Bible and gain some understanding of it, but when you are able to hear God’s voice behind a scripture or sermon and allow the Holy Spirit to show you how it applies to your specific situation, you will experience real breakthrough.

Through God we have access to wealth, healing, deliverance, peace, and so much more. He wants to speak to you about any situation you are facing in life. When you spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word, you open the door for Him to speak a word that will help you. Listen to the voice of God behind Scriptures for maximum results!

When you learn to hear God’s voice, He will give you the insight you need to strengthen your relationship with Him. Be sure to visit our online bookstore today and discover a myriad of products and resources that will help you grow spiritually.

Scripture References:

1 Corinthians 2:7
1 Corinthians 14:2

Comment by Brooklynnite 4 Life on October 31, 2009 at 10:48pm

Don't mark Halloween, Baptist pastor urges
By Ann Work
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Some of the best haunted houses that Jimmy Dillon ever visited as a child were
sponsored by Baptist churches.
But when the Trinity Baptist Church pastor was a teenager and began to grow in his
devotion to Christ, a friend asked him a question that he couldnʼt resist: Have you ever
thought that Halloween might be something that Christians shouldnʼt do?
Dillon had dressed up and collected candy on Halloween with his friends for years. But
he accepted the friendʼs challenge to study the origins of Halloween and its symbols.
Dillon soon became so firmly opposed to the holiday that he not only refused to
celebrate it, but also decided never to engage in any of the typical “alternatives,” such
as fall festivals.
Dillon preached a sermon Sunday on his convictions that Christians should not
participate — or allow their children to participate — in anything remotely connected to
Halloween.
But his greatest sermon may actually be his four grown daughters, none of whom
celebrated Halloween as children and now have each made their own decisions as
adults to steer clear of the holiday.
As he studied, Dillon discovered — and later taught his daughters as they were
growing up — that Halloween can be traced back to 100 A.D. to the Druid Festival of
the Dead, often called the Samhain festival, a Celtic celebration that focused on death.
The Western European Celts believed that ghosts and spirit-beings paid visits on
Samhain Eve (Oct. 31), because the barrier between the physical and spirit world was
weakest then.
The ancient Druids, a priestly class of Celts, believed that Samhain, the “Lord of
Death,” gathered souls of the evil dead. The Druids offered sacrifices, prayers and gifts
to Samhain to attempt to lighten the punishment of the evil dead.
They practiced seances and began the teaching of Purgatory, an anti-biblical belief in a
stopping-off spot — or holding place — before moving on to oneʼs eternal destination.
Halloween came to America in the mid-1800s along with immigrants from the Celtic
Don't mark Halloween, Baptist pastor urges : Times Record News http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/oct/29/dont-mark-...
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areas of Europe. In the 1950s, the holiday took on a childrenʼs theme as a day of fun,
dress-up and candy.
“Everyone thinks itʼs cute for Johnny to dress up like a ghost or a gruesome dead
character,” Dillon said. “But where did that come from? The Celts hid themselves in
ghoulish costumes or disguises so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of
their own and pass by without incident.”
Black cats were considered reincarnated evil souls that could see the future.
Jack-oʼ-lanterns were carved out and adorned with a candle to frighten away evil spirits
from oneʼs home. Bonfires originally were “bonefires,” where flames licked at the bones
of those sacrificed to Samhain, the god of death.
The ritual of celebrating the dead involved skeletons, skulls, and corpses, and the
ghosts, demons and goblins were introduced by the Celts because they believed they
had special freedom to travel among the living and frighten them into submission.
Even the greeting, “Trick or Treat!” was a nod to frustrated dead spirits who needed to
be bribed so they would feel welcome and not create havoc.
Then Dillon consulted the Bible to see what it said God expected. He learned that the
Bible forbade having anything to do with necromancing, or contacting of the dead
(Deuteronomy 18:9-14). Ephesians 5:11-17 warned believers to have nothing to do
with the deeds or works of darkness, but to expose the darkness and walk in the light.
Ephesians 6:12 confirmed the existence of evil so completely that it said a human
beingʼs struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and powers of
darkness, “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Romans 13:12
advises, “Lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
He passed on his research to his daughters, Kevy, Megan, Karyna and Rachel.
Kevy (Dillon) Bass, now 23, recalls asking her dad about Halloween when she was 6
and the family lived in Germany. “The dress-up looked fun and children got candy. He
told me that just as we believe in God and Jesus, that there is also a devil, Satan. He
pointed to those dressing up and said they donʼt realize they are celebrating Satanism.”
Since then, sheʼs heard friendsʼ excuses that Halloween dress-up “is innocent,” or “My
daughter just wants to be a fairy princess.”
But the evil of Halloween isnʼt worth toying with, she said.
“Itʼs like cracking a door. If you donʼt want something in, donʼt crack the door,” she said.
She never felt like she missed out by skipping the Halloween traditions.
Megan (Dillon) Barrera, 21, said she watched a childrenʼs audio series, Adventures in
Odyssey, about the history of Halloween when she was a child.
Don't mark Halloween, Baptist pastor urges : Times Record News http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/oct/29/dont-mark-...
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“I knew even as a child that I didnʼt want to be part of that,” she said.
© 2009 Times Record News, Wichita, TX

Comment by Brooklynnite 4 Life on October 31, 2009 at 10:44pm

What Are You Hearing?

With so many opinions, ideas, and perspectives in the world today, it is critical that Christians know the truth of God’s Word and allow it to be the final authority in their lives. This means finding out what the Word has to say for ourselves through our personal study time, along with asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Scriptures to us. It also means making sure we are receiving sound, Bible-based teaching that does not add or take away from the Scriptures. In these last days, deception about the Word is abounding; and there are individuals in ministry who are preaching and teaching, but what they are sharing with their congregations does not line up with the Word of God.
Receiving proper teaching from the Bible from someone who is a seasoned, proven, man or woman of God with the character to back up their calling, is essential to staying on the right path as a Christian. Otherwise, you run the risk of being led in a direction that contradicts the Word of God. This is especially true since we are living in a time when emotionalism and intellectualism are on the rise.
The Word talks about being aware of and protecting ourselves from deceptive ideas, teachings, and beliefs that contradict the pure, unadulterated Word of God. Colossians 2:8 in the Amplified Bible says this:

See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).
There are a lot of people who are coming up with their own interpretations and ideas about what the Bible means and says, and it is incorrect. However, if you are not a student of the Word for yourself, you will not know whether the teaching you receive is accurate or not. Having the Holy Spirit as our Teacher makes it much easier for us to recognize erroneous teaching because He will always reveal to us when something does not line up with the Scriptures or does not reflect the heart of God on the matter.
One of the main tactics the enemy uses to set people up to receive wrong teaching is offense—particularly as it relates to pastors and their congregations. Satan will constantly try to get people to be offended with their spiritual leaders. Usually, the offense is directed toward a pastor or other leader who said or did something a church member did not agree with or understand. When offense and strife enter the picture, they open the door to confusion and every evil work. If allowed to take root in a person’s heart, offense will lead him away from the truth of God’s Word and into error. The enemy will make sure an offended person finds his way to someone who will tell him what he wants to hear, even if it does not line up with the Word. This is a dangerous position to be in.
As Believers, we must make sure we remain in a position of submission to the Word of God at all times. But we must also be students of the Word, so we know what the Bible says. This is the first line of defense against erroneous teachings. We must also have an active, working relationship with the Holy Spirit, so He can speak to us about the Scriptures and reveal the true meaning of what God is saying through His Word.
The times in which we are living are perilous, and deception abounds. Each person will have to choose who and what he or she is going to listen and give attention to. We must guard against strife, offense, and other negative emotions that allow the enemy to take us captive. Instead, we should focus on walking in the love of God and maintaining an attitude of humility at all times. When we do, we keep ourselves in a position to hear from God and receive instructions for our lives.
Our online bookstore is a resource center for faith-building teachings that will help you grow in every area of your life. Be sure to log on and take advantage of the products available to you!

Scripture References:

Colossians 2:8
James 3:16
Proverbs 18:19
1Timothy 3:1-9

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 26, 2009 at 8:00am

Consider Your Ways
Pastor Paula White
When something bad happens to us, we are often quick to ask, "Why me, God?" Or, when something good happens to someone else, we may ask, "Why not me, God?"
In God's Word, we are instructed to ask questions of ourselves about ourselves when things aren't going as we'd planned or desired. Haggai 1:5 - 6, tells us to "consider your ways" to find the root of many problems:
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
In other words - if you feel like you're trying and trying, but still not succeeding, it might be time to "consider your ways!"
It's time to consider what you're thinking...what you're saying...and what you're doing. Although asking tough questions of ourselves can be painful, it is also often the key to breaking the mindsets, belief systems, and behaviors that keep us from truly achieving our goals in life.
It's true that you might get uncomfortable looking at yourself with such deep, introspective consideration. You might not like all that you see when you stare long and hard into the depths of your own soul. But you must be willing to identify, and then confront, those things inside of you that continue to keep you from victory. Remember: you can't conquer what you don't confront!
A man once told me it took him two years to venture into his basement after he'd moved into a new home. When he finally descended the staircase, he didn't like what he saw! "I found evidence of critters that had made their way through a broken window screen; there was rust on the water heater that was troublesome; there was debris everywhere, and the critters had made their way into boxes of old clothing and paperwork I'd put there when I first moved in. It was a mess!"
It took the man four weekends and two trips to the city dump to get the basement in good order; but after he'd accomplished the job, he said, "I felt like I'd moved a mountain. Nobody else was aware of the work I'd done, but I certainly slept better at night knowing that I had a reliable water heater, and a clean organized basement I could actually use."
Cleaning out, sorting, or repairing the damage in your inner self is very much like the work that man had to do to clean out his wreck of a basement. It's hard work - and nobody else may see or appreciate what you're doing. But it's incredibly beneficial, and may be the key to restoring order to things in your life that are out of order.
So take the first step and "consider your ways" - to break through to victory, God's way!

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 25, 2009 at 10:31am

Where Do You Stand?
Bishop Donald Hilliard
"nor standeth in the way of sinners..." Psalm 1:1
Where do you stand? What is your belief system? Have you looked at it, truly examined your beliefs and your actions? If so, are they aligned?
Who you stand with often suggests where you stand, not just physically, but emotionally, philosophically, and yes, spiritually.
If you stand with those who do not believe in one husband and one wife long enough, just like the odor of cigarette smoke, the chances are good that this belief will rub off on you. If you stand in the way of abusers, like the stench of rotten meat, again, it will rub off on you. If you stand in the way of those with questionable morals, like the foul scent from a drunk's blood and bile-filled vomit, it will rub off on you. By the way, how do you smell and where do you stand?
Let's examine ourselves:
1. Take inventory of your beliefs-write down your three main beliefs, and compare them to your behavior- do they match or do you see marked differences?
2. What changes in friends, family, atmosphere are you willing to make in order to "stand" in the right place?
3. Do you have a plan for success- who will help you succeed?

Comment by Brooklynnite 4 Life on October 17, 2009 at 12:25pm

What Are You Hearing?

With so many opinions, ideas, and perspectives in the world today, it is critical that Christians know the truth of God’s Word and allow it to be the final authority in their lives. This means finding out what the Word has to say for ourselves through our personal study time, along with asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Scriptures to us. It also means making sure we are receiving sound, Bible-based teaching that does not add or take away from the Scriptures. In these last days, deception about the Word is abounding; and there are individuals in ministry who are preaching and teaching, but what they are sharing with their congregations does not line up with the Word of God.
Receiving proper teaching from the Bible from someone who is a seasoned, proven, man or woman of God with the character to back up their calling, is essential to staying on the right path as a Christian. Otherwise, you run the risk of being led in a direction that contradicts the Word of God. This is especially true since we are living in a time when emotionalism and intellectualism are on the rise.
The Word talks about being aware of and protecting ourselves from deceptive ideas, teachings, and beliefs that contradict the pure, unadulterated Word of God. Colossians 2:8 in the Amplified Bible says this:

See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

There are a lot of people who are coming up with their own interpretations and ideas about what the Bible means and says, and it is incorrect. However, if you are not a student of the Word for yourself, you will not know whether the teaching you receive is accurate or not. Having the Holy Spirit as our Teacher makes it much easier for us to recognize erroneous teaching because He will always reveal to us when something does not line up with the Scriptures or does not reflect the heart of God on the matter.
One of the main tactics the enemy uses to set people up to receive wrong teaching is offense—particularly as it relates to pastors and their congregations. Satan will constantly try to get people to be offended with their spiritual leaders. Usually, the offense is directed toward a pastor or other leader who said or did something a church member did not agree with or understand. When offense and strife enter the picture, they open the door to confusion and every evil work. If allowed to take root in a person’s heart, offense will lead him away from the truth of God’s Word and into error. The enemy will make sure an offended person finds his way to someone who will tell him what he wants to hear, even if it does not line up with the Word. This is a dangerous position to be in.
As Believers, we must make sure we remain in a position of submission to the Word of God at all times. But we must also be students of the Word, so we know what the Bible says. This is the first line of defense against erroneous teachings. We must also have an active, working relationship with the Holy Spirit, so He can speak to us about the Scriptures and reveal the true meaning of what God is saying through His Word.
The times in which we are living are perilous, and deception abounds. Each person will have to choose who and what he or she is going to listen and give attention to. We must guard against strife, offense, and other negative emotions that allow the enemy to take us captive. Instead, we should focus on walking in the love of God and maintaining an attitude of humility at all times. When we do, we keep ourselves in a position to hear from God and receive instructions for our lives.
Our online bookstore is a resource center for faith-building teachings that will help you grow in every area of your life. Be sure to log on and take advantage of the products available to you!

Scripture References:

Colossians 2:8
James 3:16
Proverbs 18:19
1Timothy 3:1-9

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 14, 2009 at 5:55am

To Gossip Or Not To Gossip
Cindy Beall
Gossip.
I imagine we've all done it at some point in our lives.
The word gossip as a noun means a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others; a rumor or report of an intimate nature. As a verb it means to relate gossip.
Not the most positive of definitions, I'd say.
And we can't forget what Paul says in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
I can't tell you how many times I have revealed personal facts about others all in the name of "praying for them". And sometimes? Sometimes I just wanna share some juicy stuff about people, especially if I don't really care for them.
So, how do we do this? Especially us women who tend to be far more relational and sharing.
I think it comes down to motive.
My husband's and my story has been shared not only by our senior pastor nearly eight years ago, but also by my husband in his messages and by me on my blog. Since that time, many others have shared our story with people they know. I even heard a girl say one time about us, "I feel like I'm gossiping." And to her I replied, "Well, don't. We have this story on the worldwide web so I think you're good." :)
However, sharing personal information about someone who has placed his or her confidence in you would be crossing the line. Disclosing negative things about someone just for spite is highly inappropriate as well.
So, what do you do when you want to share some personal and intimate stuff about others for reasons of genuine prayer?
Ask the person. See if they are comfortable with you sharing the information about them. Let them tell you what they want you to share. You'll find that many are open books and don't care what you tell others. Still others will be more private and ask that you share that "they need prayer." If they don't want you to share their lives with others just say, "I really am not at liberty to say anything out of respect for my friend."
People might get offended and the situation may become a bit awkward because of your honesty but really, that is their problem. Don't make it yours.
Whatever the situation, use your discretion and consider how you would feel if the following information was shared about you. That sure might make you adjust what you are about to say.
Is gossip your struggle?
What other suggestions might you share with others about overcoming a desire to gossip?

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 12, 2009 at 9:50am

Dirty Dishing
Bishop Vashti McKenzie
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James 1:26
My grandfather, Dr. Carl James Murphy, was a journalist, editor, civil rights leader, community leader and publisher of the Afro American Newspaper headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Every time I had an opportunity to visit him in his Morgan Park basement library, there was a sign tacked above his desk.
It said, "Even a fish wouldn't get caught if he kept his mouth shut". It was good advice in those transitional times in the final decades of the 20th century, and it is good advice now in the genesis of the 21st century.
There are times when we need to keep a rein on our tongue as the epistle attributed to James suggests. This is especially true when tempted to do a little dirty dishing. Dirty dishing is the time-honored ritual of sharing the sordid details about co-workers, family and friends with other people in public or behind closed doors.
Sneaky emails, unsigned letters or in-person declarations bring to light what was deep, dark and hidden away from public consumption.
Dirty dishing is downloaded personal information that becomes the fodder for conversation around the proverbial water cooler. It is interesting indiscretions shared over lunch or on the golf course with a few good friends. It is juicy gossip about rivals and competitors that cast them in a negative light.
It is the low down that can knock down someone from the lofty heights of respectability.
True or false, juicy gossip has a way of getting around. It can spread faster than a California wildfire or the flu virus on a crowded airplane. It can move quickly through the choir loft and the administrative offices of a congregation. Who did what, where they did it, and with whom can be the number one topic of discussion from the secretarial pool to the loading dock.
People of faith who become more enthralled by the gossip than the gospel are often the ones who spread it. When it reached the front page of the Afro, my grandfather would respond, "Even a fish wouldn't get caught if they kept their mouth shut" or as James indicates religious people must put reins on the tongue.
Dirty Dishing may make some people feel powerful. They have information that others do not. Information that can kill or boost a career or company. Some people even feel important because they "got the goods" on someone.
In reality, dealing in dirt impinges the integrity of your religion, according to James. Using the tongue for less than noble conversations can end up being loose lips that get you caught like a fish.
Loose lips can sink a career ship. When you share the sordid details about other people, it smudges your credibility. Motives are questioned and those who hear you dish the dirt will begin wondering what you are saying about them.
An old saying says that a dog that brings a bone carries a bone. Be careful when someone brings you a gossip bone. When you respond and add you own information, you may find that the gossip bone goes on to the next person with your comments in tow.
Do not be tempted by a bit of gossip. Keep your mouth shut and refuse to add fuel to the fire or co-sign onto the grapevine. Do something to help the person caught in the crosshairs information that may or may not be true. Take the high road and squelch ugly rumors about other people. Defend those who are maligned by malicious vicious smear tactics. The tongue has the power to hurt and the power to heal.
There may be times when you must speak up about something you know to be true. The Bible encourages us to speak the truth in love which means, as Michael Eric Dyson writes in Can You Hear Me Now?, to tell the truth gently.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 9, 2009 at 4:49am

Answering the Call to Holiness
Dr. Betty R. Price
Many Christians do not take holiness seriously. They do not realize that to be holy is a commandment from God. Since God has called us to holiness, we have to will ourselves to live the holy life. In 1 Peter 1:13 -16, we see God's call to holiness: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"
We also find in II Timothy 1:8-9, "...share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began."
Everything that refers to God is holy. Holiness is the very essence of who He is. Our lives should always exemplify what Jesus' life was like when He lived on earth, because He exemplified what God's life is-a life of holiness. This was evident when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. No matter what Satan tempted Jesus with, or how often Satan tempted Him, Jesus never yielded to him.
Holiness is the quality of life. It should not be confused with two similar terms such as sanctification, which means to be set apart, and righteousness, which means right standing with God. When you were born again, you were made the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.
Paul tells us this in II Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." He also writes in 1 Corinthians 1:2, "... to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints..."
God makes us righteous and sanctifies us through Jesus Christ; those are things that He does. But it is up to us to be obedient to His call to holiness. We do not have to do anything to be sanctified, other than to live a sanctified life. Living the sanctified life is called holiness. This is how our character gets established. So Christians can't do anything to be righteous or sanctified, but everything to be holy.
It may seem difficult, but you can be holy, just as God the Father and Jesus are holy. It will take effort because it does not come overnight. You have to train yourself and remove yourself from unholy people, places, things and actions. You have to will yourself to do it. You have to go in the opposite direction of where your flesh or your mind may want to take you. You must remember that God cannot be involved in any kind of sin or immorality. When you get into sin or immorality, you park His power at the door and enter at your own risk.
Christians should desire to be pleasing to God instead of compromising their standards to please others. They must tell themselves, "I can abstain from fornication; I will not commit adultery; I will not worry; I will not overeat; I will not be jealous; I will not be envious; I will not be full of strife; I will not lie; I will not do anything that Jesus wouldn't do because I am holy."
To be victorious in living a life of holiness, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You need the Holy Spirit, the power of God, to help you because Satan will oppose you when you commit to obeying the Word of God. You need the supernatural power of God because Satan is a supernatural enemy. It is a supernatural life that God has called you to. It is a life of joy, peace and fulfillment.
The act of holiness is not an impossible task. God would never tell us to do something or be something that is impossible to accomplish. You can be holy; you can count yourself as dead to sin; you can overcome those temptations just as Jesus did because God has already made a way of escape.
Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
So, whatever challenge you're faced with, don't give up. It's a fight all your life. It doesn't matter how many times you fall; get up because one of these times, you're going to get the victory over that temptation so you can be right for God and live the life of holiness as you were called to do.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on October 8, 2009 at 5:28am

The Hard Fight Against Lust
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar
The American Heritage Dictionary defines lust as "a sexual craving, especially excessive or unrestrained; any overwhelming desire or craving." While there are many types of lust, sexual lust is probably one of the most dangerous because it is a seed that, when planted, can produce a harvest of fornication and even death.
James 1:14-15 (AMP) says, "But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death."
Anytime you have an overwhelming sexual desire for someone who is not your spouse, it has the potential to kill you and pull you away from the will of God for your life.
Why do people give in to sexual lust? Because it "feels good" or because they don't really believe that there are consequences. The truth of the matter is that lust can be difficult to control because it is a desire that cannot be quenched. Lust will never be satisfied; it must always have more.
To combat lust, you must create boundaries in your life that help keep you out of potentially compromising situations. If you're single, for example, avoid late-night visits and phone conversations with members of the opposite sex.
Or, if you know you are challenged in this area, confide in a friend who can keep you accountable and help you maintain your purity. But the best way to quench the fire of lust is through the Word of God. It is always the best source of power when it comes to defeating any type of sin, including lust. If you are struggling with lust, follow these steps to help you overcome this sin in your life:
1) Focus on the will of God. When you choose to give your attention to anything that opposes God's Word, you leave yourself vulnerable for lust to enter your mind, body and spirit. It then conceives and brings forth sin, and eventually leads to death. Stay focused on God's will and plan for your life. Stay on track!
2) Guard your eyes and ears. If you conceive a child, nine months later a child will be born. It is the same way with lust. If you sit up all night watching pornography, for example, that seed will be planted into your spirit and you'll eventually see the results of it in your life. Make it a point to monitor the material you allow into your spirit through your eyes and ears. It really does have an ability to alter your behavior.
3) Think about the Word. Satan's most powerful weapon is the power of suggestion. His job is to try to inject a pattern of thinking into your mind that goes against the Word of God. But if you continue to read and study God's Word, your mind will be better equipped to discern the truth from Satan's lies.
4) Speak the Word. Try this exercise. Count to yourself from 1 to 10, keeping your mouth closed. Now say out loud, "Glory Hallelujah!" What happened to your counting? It stopped. Why? Because it was captured by what was coming out of your mouth. You can combat lustful thoughts and desires by shifting your focus to the Word of God and making daily verbal confessions over your life about your purity and wholeness in Christ.
Make this confession over your life: Father, I thank You that today I am free from the spirit of lust. I will no longer think lustful thoughts, but instead I will think on things that are true, things that are noble, just and pure (Philippians 4:8).
I walk in complete victory and self-control over my mind and my body in Jesus' name, amen!

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