04/12/10 the fight for truth

I am a thessalonian

I’ve been drifting from my faith

I’ve been giving in to my flesh

Yielding to temptation

All the temptation I’m going through is a trial

It is meant to give me the opportunity to be built up

To strengthen me, give me the ability to resist evil

I’ve failed

I must get up and try again

God will not let me get by this

I have to overcome it with His help

So I must go through it until it is overcome

However many times it takes

And the temptation though now is not in person

It will be at some point

I have a job to do for God and I’m stymied here at this crossroads

It’s the same one I’ve been at for most of my life

The sexual temptation that I’ve never been able to overcome

God has brought me back around to address it

And until it is conquored I will continue to be faced with it

I need help

This was amazing to me.  Aaron called and in our conversation I asked him to pray for me.  and he began to tell me something, that amazed me.  he said that going through the thing that you need to be strengthend in gives you the strength to build up in it.

In other words, if you are weak in push ups you need to do push ups to practice to get better.

And you can’t get good at doing pushups unless you do them. 

How did this wisdome come from my own son?

I see that until I go through this trial and face it and conquor it I will not move on.  I need to exercise self control in order to master it.  And I can’t do it alone.

I need to ask for prayer.

Sexual addiction

Sex is a gift

It is precious

Outside of marriage it is sin

Period

Addiction is not the right word.  It’s an excuse, calling it that, a scapegoat.

We are called to be responsible for our choices and step up admit that it is sin and ask for forgiveness and help.

It is a call away from idolitry

From self on the throne in the form of pleasure seeking.

Away from this lifestyle of self gratification

If God is not God then my desires will control me

There must be repentence

True repentance is not just because you are having a problem

It’s to ask for a different life, a radical change.

Flee immorality and pursue righteousness

Courage

Faith

Love always wins

No one else loves me like God does

I can trust Him

I can trust Him

He is a mighty fortress

When the mountains are caving down I can believe that He loves me

When I suffer I have not lost God’s love

When I’ve sinned I have not lost God’s love

I do not deserve His love, but I have it nonetheless

I do not need to believe the lie that says He doesn’t love me.

May I glorify my God and not give in to this sin

Oh may I seek to always serve You my Father.

2 chronicles – God said lay down your swords and sing!

For the battle belongs to God. 

What is my job?  To glorify Him, to praise Him, to give myself to Him wholly.

2 Chronicles 20:15-30

 ¹⁵ He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

 ¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. ¹⁹ Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.

 ²⁰ Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." ²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
       "Give thanks to the LORD,
       for his love endures forever."

 ²² As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

 ²⁴ When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. ²⁵ So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing  and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. ²⁶ On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah  to this day.

 ²⁷ Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.

 ²⁹ The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Job’s suffering was – unbeknownst to him – for us all through the ages. 

To show us that God is in control and He has a reason for everything.

My body is not in control.

The lion attacks the weak – the one that is slow and not in community.

Jeanne