Last week we discussed how there will be things preached over the pulpit from time to time that do not match with the Word of God. When we take the time to study God's Word, we are not easily tricked up by misinformed preaching. There are some preachers that get mad if you question what they teach. As for me, I encourage you to investigate my messages in your Bible. This way, you can see if I am telling the truth or not - and, along the way, you will learn more about God's Word, and be more empowered to make better spiritual choices that will help you in life!
God's Word has helped many, many leaders in life. Even if you don't agree with the fact that Jesus died for your sins, and you approach the Bible from a moral standpoint, the concepts of helping your neighbor, treating others as you would want to be treated, etc. - they are a great guidepost for making moral decisions.
We began last week about talking about truth - I want to talk a bit today about being led by lusts. In essence, this lesson is a "THY WILL VS. MY WILL" lesson. I teach those types of lessons often, but the LORD puts them on my heart regularly to do so. Why? We are living in a "GIVE ME" age! Even in the church, people are constantly coming to God, asking Him for more giftings, more knowledge, more wisdom, more power, more finances...but how about more humility? How about more submission? How about more faith?
Whose will do we want fulfilled here - God's, or ours? I have a question for you - if God has a plan for your life, why is it that you think you need to help Him figure out how it should be done? I think God smiles sometimes seeing us in our bumbling efforts, as He tries yet again, and again, and again, to help us back up on the straight and narrow.
I am not going to get deep in this lesson - I think it will speak for itself, even without a load of scripture. First, we need to find out what lust is - what does it mean to be led by lusts? What is lust? One of the Greek words for lust is "epithymia",which means"desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust". We know that in God, there is also a holy lust - a lust to grow in God. Generally speaking, people associate the word "lust" with wicked things, and understandably so - basically every time the word "lust" is used in the Bible, it is used to describe a sinful desire. In most instances, it is treated as a sexual word (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.) However, if you look at www.dictionary.com, you see one side to the coin that is contrary to the negative connotations this word receives - "ardententhusiasm;zest;relish:anenviablelustforlife." Just as there is an unholy lust, there is also a holy lust. The word "lust" essentially means "desire or craving". To desire more of the presence of the LORD is to have a holy lust for Him.
Some may disagree on this, and say that it is incorrect to use the word "lust" in such a format, but they wouldn't disagree that the word "lust" and "desire" have the same basic meanings. The only difference is that lust has been given a negative connotation in conversation, whereas desire has not been tagged with the scarlet letter.
A holy lust is a desire to quench the flesh under the mighty hand of God, and to serve Him above our own selfish desires. As I said, using this word "lust" will be hard for some to grasp - to use it next to the word "holy" would be a bitter pill to swallow. But at least understand that not every definition of the word "lust" is a negative one - at least one meaning has a healthy, positive outlook. Before I go any further into the lesson, take a look at the word "gay". If you said it today, it means something totally different than it did 100 years ago. The true meaning of the word "gay" is "happy", but it is used so frequently to describe homosexual behaviour, it has been tainted. So, please keep that in mind as you think about what I have said.
Take a quick look atDeuteronomy 12:15 - "Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart." The word "lusteth" comes from the Hebrew word "אַוָּה" ('avvah),which means "desire, lust, will (not necessarily evil)". Even the Bible is backing up what I am saying here - I just want for people to take a look at the Word, and not lean to their own understanding.
Here, I am talking about unholy lusts - the desires of the flesh. How do I know if a desire that I have is an unholy one? The measuring rod is the Word of God! You can use any instance in life and compare it to the Word, to see if what you are experiencing is lining up with the Word of God! For the sake of this conversation, since most people will associate the word "lust" with something negative, I am going to use the word "desire". If you desire to help others in need, that is a godly lust. If you desire to pray for the sick, that is a godly lust. If you desire to share the Good News of the Gospel with others, that is a godly lust.
Now, if you desire to flirt with men or women outside of your marriage covenant, that is an unholy lust. Some may say this old saying - "you can look at the menu, as long as you don't order". Let me ask you a question - if you wouldn't let a thief in your house, why would you let them camp out in your front yard? If you wouldn't let someone burn down your house, why would you let them pour gas in the front yard and stand there with a box of matches? Why entertain the concept of sin? God is after PURITY and RIGHTEOUSNESS!
As long as we entertain the concept of sin, we show that our heart is not yet totally bridled by the Word of God - it is still led by the lusts of the flesh! Galatians 5:24says"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Friend, you have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ! He shed His blood for you, so that you could be forgiven of your sin. In exchange, you have given your life to Him, so that He can use it for the glory of God. Don't be led of the fleshly lusts. They are not of God - they are of the world.
What kingdom can be ruled by two kings? What person can be ruled by two desires? Remember the words of Jesus inMatthew 6:24 - "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." If you allow sin in, even by the least amount, it is like yeast, which makes bread rise. This is why Paul wrote inGalatians 5:9 - "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." You must STRIVE to put away ALL LEAVEN (sin) out of your life via the blood (repentance), prayer, fasting, and humility. You must have a HOLY LUST to put away the UNHOLY LUST from your life.
If this is a large pill to swallow, I understand. In most instances, I use the word "desire" instead of "lust" when I am talking about following the LORD. This has less to do with word definitions, and more to do with understanding what an unholy lust is.
#1 - We need to know what is an unholy lust. How do we know? We use the Word of God as our measuring rod - if the "lust" does not line up with the Word of God, it is not holy.
#2 - We need to have a desire to overcome these lusts that war against us. God has equipped us with tools to overcome sin in our lives - it is up to us to use them!
Lord willing, we will discuss this again next week. However, we will wait on God and see what He has to say - God bless you!
1-14-12 – Led by Truth vs. Led by Lusts – Part 2
Last week we discussed how there will be things preached over the pulpit from time to time that do not match with the Word of God. When we take the time to study God's Word, we are not easily tricked up by misinformed preaching. There are some preachers that get mad if you question what they teach. As for me, I encourage you to investigate my messages in your Bible. This way, you can see if I am telling the truth or not - and, along the way, you will learn more about God's Word, and be more empowered to make better spiritual choices that will help you in life!
God's Word has helped many, many leaders in life. Even if you don't agree with the fact that Jesus died for your sins, and you approach the Bible from a moral standpoint, the concepts of helping your neighbor, treating others as you would want to be treated, etc. - they are a great guidepost for making moral decisions.
We began last week about talking about truth - I want to talk a bit today about being led by lusts. In essence, this lesson is a "THY WILL VS. MY WILL" lesson. I teach those types of lessons often, but the LORD puts them on my heart regularly to do so. Why? We are living in a "GIVE ME" age! Even in the church, people are constantly coming to God, asking Him for more giftings, more knowledge, more wisdom, more power, more finances...but how about more humility? How about more submission? How about more faith?
Whose will do we want fulfilled here - God's, or ours? I have a question for you - if God has a plan for your life, why is it that you think you need to help Him figure out how it should be done? I think God smiles sometimes seeing us in our bumbling efforts, as He tries yet again, and again, and again, to help us back up on the straight and narrow.
I am not going to get deep in this lesson - I think it will speak for itself, even without a load of scripture. First, we need to find out what lust is - what does it mean to be led by lusts? What is lust? One of the Greek words for lust is "epithymia", which means "desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust". We know that in God, there is also a holy lust - a lust to grow in God. Generally speaking, people associate the word "lust" with wicked things, and understandably so - basically every time the word "lust" is used in the Bible, it is used to describe a sinful desire. In most instances, it is treated as a sexual word (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.) However, if you look at www.dictionary.com, you see one side to the coin that is contrary to the negative connotations this word receives - "ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life." Just as there is an unholy lust, there is also a holy lust. The word "lust" essentially means "desire or craving". To desire more of the presence of the LORD is to have a holy lust for Him.
Some may disagree on this, and say that it is incorrect to use the word "lust" in such a format, but they wouldn't disagree that the word "lust" and "desire" have the same basic meanings. The only difference is that lust has been given a negative connotation in conversation, whereas desire has not been tagged with the scarlet letter.
A holy lust is a desire to quench the flesh under the mighty hand of God, and to serve Him above our own selfish desires. As I said, using this word "lust" will be hard for some to grasp - to use it next to the word "holy" would be a bitter pill to swallow. But at least understand that not every definition of the word "lust" is a negative one - at least one meaning has a healthy, positive outlook. Before I go any further into the lesson, take a look at the word "gay". If you said it today, it means something totally different than it did 100 years ago. The true meaning of the word "gay" is "happy", but it is used so frequently to describe homosexual behaviour, it has been tainted. So, please keep that in mind as you think about what I have said.
Take a quick look at Deuteronomy 12:15 - "Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart." The word "lusteth" comes from the Hebrew word "אַוָּה" ('avvah), which means "desire, lust, will (not necessarily evil)". Even the Bible is backing up what I am saying here - I just want for people to take a look at the Word, and not lean to their own understanding.
Here, I am talking about unholy lusts - the desires of the flesh. How do I know if a desire that I have is an unholy one? The measuring rod is the Word of God! You can use any instance in life and compare it to the Word, to see if what you are experiencing is lining up with the Word of God! For the sake of this conversation, since most people will associate the word "lust" with something negative, I am going to use the word "desire". If you desire to help others in need, that is a godly lust. If you desire to pray for the sick, that is a godly lust. If you desire to share the Good News of the Gospel with others, that is a godly lust.
Now, if you desire to flirt with men or women outside of your marriage covenant, that is an unholy lust. Some may say this old saying - "you can look at the menu, as long as you don't order". Let me ask you a question - if you wouldn't let a thief in your house, why would you let them camp out in your front yard? If you wouldn't let someone burn down your house, why would you let them pour gas in the front yard and stand there with a box of matches? Why entertain the concept of sin? God is after PURITY and RIGHTEOUSNESS!
As long as we entertain the concept of sin, we show that our heart is not yet totally bridled by the Word of God - it is still led by the lusts of the flesh! Galatians 5:24 says "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Friend, you have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ! He shed His blood for you, so that you could be forgiven of your sin. In exchange, you have given your life to Him, so that He can use it for the glory of God. Don't be led of the fleshly lusts. They are not of God - they are of the world.
What kingdom can be ruled by two kings? What person can be ruled by two desires? Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24 - "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." If you allow sin in, even by the least amount, it is like yeast, which makes bread rise. This is why Paul wrote in Galatians 5:9 - "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." You must STRIVE to put away ALL LEAVEN (sin) out of your life via the blood (repentance), prayer, fasting, and humility. You must have a HOLY LUST to put away the UNHOLY LUST from your life.
If this is a large pill to swallow, I understand. In most instances, I use the word "desire" instead of "lust" when I am talking about following the LORD. This has less to do with word definitions, and more to do with understanding what an unholy lust is.
#1 - We need to know what is an unholy lust. How do we know? We use the Word of God as our measuring rod - if the "lust" does not line up with the Word of God, it is not holy.
#2 - We need to have a desire to overcome these lusts that war against us. God has equipped us with tools to overcome sin in our lives - it is up to us to use them!
Lord willing, we will discuss this again next week. However, we will wait on God and see what He has to say - God bless you!