SF, Stagecoach, NV
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
What a topic today. So many Christians, who know better are living by their flesh. It's not something the Lord agrees with in the Old Testament or the New. It's a tough decision, but if you want to walk closer to the Lord you'll need to tell your significant other, who loves you, to marry or I leave. Sex is mans way, making LOVE or the joining of a man & women is God's way.
I'm presuming if you have a computer, then you have access to a Bible, or a FREE online is at http://bible-guide.org/free.php?seed=online%20bible
READ - 2 Chronicles Chapter 9 & 1 Kings Chapter 11
These chapters tell of Solomon and how “great” he
was, the WISEST and RICHEST man whoever walked the earth. BUT to find the reason for his
“downfall”, a full picture is needed to discern that. Knowing that someone made it to the “top of
the mountain” is good, but knowing why they fell is more important - you really
don’t want to fall into the same pit do you?
The Bible gives us the “Whole” picture which is what we need to learn
and overcome Solomon’s plight.
Solomon
liked foreign women. In fact, he loved
them so much, he had 700 foreign women for wives and 300 concubines. Do you think he ever had a “true
relationship” with anyone? He may have
desired these women at one time, but the end result is that he had a lot of
miserable women on his hands.
If
you read Proverbs (Prov), written by Solomon, there are 19 references to “women” only
two of these are “praising women” the rest, I believe are the problems he
had! A couple of my favorites are; Prov 2:16 where he asks to be
delivered from an immoral woman because she seduces with flattering words -
another words, they are liars and you cannot believe them. Prov 11:22 where a woman is compared
to a “gold ring in a pigs snout if she lacks discretion" - now that is a
peaceful picture! Prov 21:19 'it’s better to live in the wilderness then with a
contentious (competitive, argumentative) and angry woman" - what a
combination! Although I’m a woman, I
think this is hilarious because with a 1,000 women, you can bet he’s speaking
from experience!
Funny
or not, this was against Gods Word. He
warned the Israelites in I Kings 11:1-8 that they should not
intermarry with foreign women. When the
Bible says “Surely”, pay attention because it means “that it will happen” or
“without a doubt”, they will turn
away from God. Verse 4 confirms God’s
Word, because his wives turned him to their gods.
The
Christian community tells of Solomon’s “greatness”, but rarely of his
“downfall”. They tell us the promises of
God, but not the conditions. Then we
wonder why we’re not receiving the promises?
When we ask, we’re told “Our faith isn’t strong enough” or “In God’s
time” and the most common of all “It might not be His will for you”. -
BOLOGNA! THAT IS NOT WHAT THE WORD SAYS!
The
WORD SAYS, “If thou will obey”. It’s God’s
will for each promise He made for you to have it Now! He knows you need it, BUT only if you
obey Him can He be assured it will bless you, not harm you. "If thou won’t", then the blessing would become a curse and harm you -
which He won’t do. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (that’s YOU!), that He gave His only begotten
Son,..” and John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal,
and kill, and destroy: I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and may have it
abundantly.” Abundance is what Solomon
had. Literally an addiction!
1. Solomon LOVED many FOREIGN WOMEN. In Deuteronomy 17:17 it says, "Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his
heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for
himself.”
* I don’t
believe this was the “agape” love the Lord has for us, but rather the “human
desire” of the “flesh” for things unique or different in the land. So what Solomon did was bow to the desires of
his flesh. Although many men might say
“Yippee”, Solomon paid a heavy price for his sin. Since everyone followed him, he eventually led
the Israelite nation to sin also.
2. He CHOSE to DISOBEY God, who had warned the Israelites of what
would happen it they intermarried.
Solomon
had FREE CHOICE to follow God or not, so his “downfall” came about because of
the desires of his flesh and his choice to follow them rather than
God. From Genesis to Revelation the word
“flesh” is listed 300 times. I believe
this is because God wanted us to know where 90% of the “REAL BATTLE” is. Here are just a few.
Genesis 6:12 “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was
corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth..”
*
Here we see that the earth became corrupt because of the flesh. It’s no wonder the twerp (satan) uses it
against us! The “natural” odds are with
him, - our 5 senses against our born again spirit. But praise God, 2 Peter 1:4 says, “ by which
have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through
these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.”
Psalms 63:1 “...O God, You are
my God; Early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh
longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”
* Notice here, your soul (that which was
born again) “thirsts” and your
flesh “can” long for God. Here are a few scriptures that will tell you,
what your soul can do and feel:
·
Isaiah 42:1 “... in whom My soul delights..”
·
Matthew 6:28 “..My soul is exceedingly sorrowful..”
·
Luke 1:46 “..my soul magnifies the Lord..”
·
Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; but if
anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
Psalms 78:38-39
“But He,
being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy
them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His
wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes
away and does not come again.”
*
While you strive to walk closer with God, remember that we are but
flesh. Don’t beat yourself up, or you will fall. Just repent and ask God for
help! God searches the heart of man and
sees your sincerity. Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to
give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
Romans 7:5-6
“For
when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were
aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the
law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the
newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."
Romans
8:1- 9 “There is
therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do in
that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to
the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the
things of the flesh, but those who
live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to
be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is
not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot
please God. But you are not in the
flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His."
Neither I nor the Lord condemn you - just because something becomes a standard in the world does not mean it's OK with our Lord Jesus, because it's usually against His Word! But rejoice, He always leaves a door open for you to repent (meaning change your ways). Remember, it's the twerp (satan) who leads us down unrighteous paths, so he won't be alone and have no one to torment for eternity.
I
Timothy 4:1-3
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter
times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits
and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their
own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods
which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and
know the truth.
1 John 2:16
"For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world."
We are always free to choose who we follow, but at least your eyes are open, to know who you are following and what's causing you problems in life.
Blessings - The Lord's Servant
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