Lust vs love

       For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1John 2:16

      Lust of the flesh: What your body does naturally meaning when your hungry or thirsty these are things your body does naturally. Which can contribute to why it seems so hard when you try and fast, your going against what your body does naturally.

       Lust of the Eyes: Things looking better than what they are. Speaking to guys, when your walking down the street and you see a cute girl and you, smile and start thinking, my bros are going to be so jealous when they find out that's who I am talking to. Ladies your not exempt from this, walking down the street and a guy who is "thick." The point is your liking what you see and not thinking of the implications of you being in contact with this person, or what it will do to your heart.

       Pride of life: Something that may make you feel better, that builds you, or you think builds you. What this means is something that could make us feel that we are higher than God. One of the things I had to work with Jesus on was anger, I had this idea in my head that because I worked out and lifted, I felt like I could not be touched I was on a completely different level, having this higher than God persona.

An example of the three types of lust takes place in Genesis 3:6-7

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

      Lust of the flesh- "Woman Saw that the Fruit of the tree was good for Food" The Woman (Eve) was in the Garden, and could eat anything she wanted, but she was already in the garden and God said she could eat anything, EXCEPT the fruit from this specific tree. 

      Lust of the eyes- "Pleasing to the eye" What looks good, she was in the garden a place that God said they could eat anything. Because something is pleasing, or looks good we act upon it.  We do this more than we realize when we have money and look for stuff, such as; clothes, shoes, drugs, sex and  much more. Looking to find comfort but we leave feeling empty, trying to find peace but we keep trying to find the replacement and to feel comfort for the things of the world.

      The pride of life- Gaining wisdom, they both gained wisdom however they did not take into account the consequences of them taking and eating the fruit. Their disobedience brought sin into the world, and separated us from God. Which means that a sacrifice, the spilling of blood was the only thing being able to cover us from sins... (more on this in a later blog post)

      God is putting this on my heart, because its one of the things I personally deal with as well as a majority of guys and girls and this is the battle with lust. Sexual attraction to someone either of the same sex, or the opposite. Guys and girls alike we put hope, and trust into someone and having sex with them to feel complete, and then when we break up with them we feel like were being ripped in half. Why, because when we have sex it is two people becoming one, and its not sex with a person it is sex with a soul. You become part of them, They become part of you and when you break up with them and then they go and sleep with someone they not only take part of their previous partner with them, but then they are splitting themselves with another partner as well. That individual can be so broken up and they keep putting themselves out there hoping to find something they end up finding nothing until they find  something that will constantly fulfill you, and that is Jesus. 

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 1John 2:15

 Jesus being tempted, Jesus fighting temptation Matthew 4 when Jesus was being tempted by Satan.

Lust of the flesh-  Matthew 4:3-4

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Lust of the eyes-  Matthew 4:5-7

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”
⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

Pride of life- Matthew 4: 8-10    
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

      Jesus was tempted by the enemy, by Satan, just after he spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Which is interesting, because when you fast your not eating, your trying to ignore bodily function and rely on God alone, and trying to grow closer in your relationship with him. Which means as we grow and become more intimate and closer to God we will be able to withstand the temptation of the enemy.  This shows us to things 1. that Jesus spent 40 days growing closer to God through fasting. I don't think Jesus was as his weakest, but at his strongest. 2. This shows us that Jesus having dealt with the temptation of the enemy shows us we can as well.  I feel like Jesus has given us steps to battle with lust.

1. Staying rooted in Jesus
John 15:1-8
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

     The closer you are to Jesus, the better able he will be able to make you fruitful, and when he prunes you, cuts the bad, and cuts the temptation out of your life, it allows you to grow more in Christ, and embrace him, similar to when your in a relationship you try to spend your time with that individual to learn and know more about them to learn about him.


2. Bringing it to light
Ephesians 5: 12-13
It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Bringing things to light and telling people about the problems, and the issues you are dealing with give the enemy less things he can use to tempt you. Which allows you to take the steps to overcome the issue. Bringing things to light allow you to look at the issue and see the temptations and issues clearly for what they are.


3.Asking for help
Hebrews 10: 24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

      Sometimes what were dealing with can not be dealt with by ourselves and we need someone, an outside perspective a community to really sit and pray with us. To help not only come up and increase the steps we make with God but to walk along with us and to help us look at where we can grow in the journey with Jesus and to also keep us walking with him.


4. Asking why you are hanging on to this.
        Idols in your life. things that you bow before, things that are keeping you from being, or coming into your relationship with God, this could be anything from Work, to your spouse or partner, to money. Sometimes we get caught up in the gifts God gives us, we forget that God gave them to us. For example God can bless us with a new job, and the money pays well, but you lean on yourself saying I got to where I am, instead of saying God gave me this, and allows me to do this. We could also realize that their is this idol (this thing keeping you from God) and we are still are  doing the day to day following God, and say you give him control of say the things you watch but you don't relinquish that addiction to pornography, or alcohol to him.
This is where you need to ask yourself why do I still fall to this? if you do not know, ask God whatever it is he is big enough to handle it.

1John 2:15
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”


4.1 Giving it to Jesus
      Letting Jesus into your life, and letting Jesus have it.
       Whenever you realize that this thing is interrupting your life and hurting you more than it is helping you, and it becomes painful and you can no longer carry it, and you think you give it to God yet your still falling to it, the problem lies with you not giving it to him, instead your thinking he isn't accepting it,
       Difference between you saying it, and meaning it in your heart. Here what I mean, you know where you are at on your walk with Jesus, where your at in the moment and the struggle that you are dealing with. You can tell people you that you are doing the right things but you know in your heart where you are. You can ask him to take the things in your life away, but he doesn't look at the struggle he looks at where he can stretch you because of the things you are going through. 

5. Then letting Jesus into that part of your life.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
       Jesus is said to live in your heart, sometimes our heart is preoccupied with the things we think we can control, but it has control over you. When you make the decision to stop doing whatever it is, we can then ask Jesus to come into that part of our life. The reason we have to ask, he is not going to come in and take over, we have to allow him to take over and to truly submit to what he has for us.  

The basis of love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Sometimes I feel as followers we do things to protect ourselves because were afraid to show love to others. Sometimes I feel that when we do reach out to people they may feel that your doing it out of pity, or because we think they feel unattached. So, us trying to be that attachment.  We're doing it out of love, and showing Jesus's love to people. I guess my initial thought is this.

How do you get people that are separate from the church to join the church, how do you get people that are perfectly okay by themselves to not be by themselves and to join the place, or the group? The simple answer is this, you do not. In my last post, I said choosing God and choosing to follow him was a choice, same with a youth group, or church you can simply open the doors out of love, and doing what God has asked for you. The guest are the ones who have to choose to stay or to go.

Doing things out of love. Jesus died for us out of love, we do not deserve what he did for us on the cross and us trying to show that kind of love is important  to not only the ones we serve, but the way we conduct our lives. Jesus was the example of a servant he served us by dying for us. When he was up conducting the last supper, he washed the disciples feet, he was showing them that this is what we are supposed to do, help and serve each other because he served us.

In Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  If the spirit flows within us this as a church, and as a follower exhibit these qualities to people and for people.
Sometimes how we present ourselves, and show others who we are, they can know we follow Christ and not want to even be apart of his kingdom by that one confrontation. I am going to end with this, sometimes we are the only bible, the only example of church, the example of Jesus someone will ever see.

The Choice

        I feel like as people spend time learning about Jesus, and trying to understand more about him I feel like they miss a big part, and one of the most important, and that's how much Jesus loves you. I can sit here and say yeah Jesus died for us, took our place and he gave us the one and only way to join him in heaven, my initial question is what does this mean?



John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

Lots of people know this verse, but what does this mean. I feel like it’s the ultimate testament of God's love for us because he gives us the opportunity to choose him. It is by his grace, that he is able to forgive us, and allow us to go and join him in heaven. In Ephesians 2:10 it says that you are a masterpiece for God, he died for you. He died, he was beaten and broken, and he was scared, but because he loved us he died for us.

Luke 22:42-45

42“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow.

           

            So where this takes place is the garden of gethsemane, hours before he was to make the ultimate sacrifice, and to take the place for our sins. Jesus shows us several things that he knows what is to come, that he is terrified to take this next step, and he prays before he does anything. It also shows that Jesus by himself, couldn’t have done and made this sacrifice, the angel for heaven comes to help him, similarly Jesus puts people in your life to help you. The amount of pressure, stress that was on him in this moment was just the beginning because he knew he was going to be broken, but he also knew the purpose behind it. That with Jesus dying for us, that the war between heaven and hell would be won.

Why I named this post the choice: Jesus did it for us, he sacrificed himself for us, so that we can go live with him forever. In John 3:16 at the top of the page, it says that whoever believes in him. What this means is it is a choice, it’s your choice no one on earth can force you to except Jesus he made the ultimate testament of love, he did all of this for you. You have to except it, it’s your decision, and a decision between you and God.

  

My Story:

I was born in New Mexico. My biological mother couldn’t take care of me, so my sister and I moved in with my aunt and uncle in Georgia. A few years later, family friends in Kentucky adopted my sister, and one year later adopted me. It took me a long time to trust my parents now. I felt like I had to do everything alone and by myself. I felt like I had to take care of my sister on my own. I was always stressed, depressed, tired, grieving, sad, worried, and angry. I didn’t seem to feel anything, but I felt unloved, and wondered why my biological mother didn’t want me. For a long time, my sister and I were all each other had. In 2002 I was baptized, but I didn’t feel anything, and I didn’t do it for me. From there, my life went downhill. I coped with my stress and anger through different sports, but the more I tried to cope, the worse I felt. I felt betrayed, why wasn’t I good enough? I kept making bad decisions and hurt the people I love the most.

I hit rock bottom, and was too tired to keep carrying all my baggage. So, I sent a text to Jake Fouts, and asked him for help. He invited me to a UK basketball game, and then later took me into the prayer room. I told him I needed help, and that I was missing something. Jake told me the missing piece was Jesus, but that I had to find Him myself. I finally realized in that moment, that Jesus was the missing piece, and that I needed Him. Jake led me in a prayer to ask Jesus into my heart. In that moment, I felt everything that was weighing me down, leave my body. It was all gone. This lyric kept going through my head ‘Take a load off Fanny, take a load off me’ because that is how I felt. I felt joy, relief, and lifted.

Before I met Christ I felt like I was hiding behind a mask, now I have removed the mask. This is me, this is who I was created to be. The transition isn’t easy, and when the old me tries to come back, Jesus is with me. I am not alone. He picks me up and guides all of my steps. I am getting baptized today because I am loved by Jesus.

.   

The pain, The hurt, The revival

Proverbs 27:19
As water reflects the face,  so one’s life reflects the heart.

I feel like a lot of people say something is bad for them, and then do whatever it was that was or is bad for them, and saying they want to quit, and are taking the steps to beat whatever it is, but something is keeping them to take the first step. This could be fear, or timidity, it could also be the enemy saying no, you cannot do it, and he is becoming desperate so he is trying to get you to circum to whatever it is you feeling and not following Jesus the most effectively as you feel you could. This issue I feel is what people are dealing with, and is a constant battle, and the battle can include anything, from lust, to depression, to thoughts and acts of suicide, to smoking.   

 

The water reflects the face,

These things are impactful to your life, Jesus says you are a masterpiece, and how he wants a personal relationship with you. He keeps an eye on you, and desires a relationship with you. I feel like we have stages in our lives, from the beginning, from birth where we grow up in church with no connection to Jesus, and are told he is real but not really understanding, or really gaining a grasp to and the concept of what he is or who he is, and knowing that you inviting him into your life is the biggest decision of your life but not fully understanding why. Maybe your the person who family is broken up, your called on this earth for a purpose but not fully understanding what that purpose is and you blame yourself for the broken family, for the broken hearts and you feel like everything is your fault. Maybe your the person who is so beaten down with depression, and thoughts of suicide that you can not think straight, and that you may be reading this thinking about taking your life or crying yourself to sleep, acting like you do not have a point to your life. Jesus says you are beautiful and made in Gods image, to him your perfect he never makes a mistake, and he loves you from everything from your hair down to your stinky feet.

¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7

  Jesus's has a great purposes for your life, and desires a relationship, a personal relationship with you.  

So ones life reflects the heart.

This part is hard to write, and here is why, because I can tell you the great things Jesus has done for me, but I feel that doesn't always do it justice. Your life from beginning to end from where you beginning making your decisions, and leaning on yourself, feeling hurt and being broken, knowing where you are at trying to find things to escape reality, to take a break, and be free for even if it is just a moment. I know what you are thinking that I do not know what I am talking about, and  here is where your wrong, I have been there, I have been depressed and have had thoughts of suicide, I still have the scares to prove it. It's still a battle and a choice that I choose and let Jesus fight for me, and I ask you to pray for me in this, to help me keep the enemy away from my heart, and not to tempt me with depression, and I pray this over the people reading this as well.  

So life reflects your heart, here is why, because the decisions you make and the places and people you hurt may feel that your heart is light but you hurt more people and more, the weight of the few turns into the weight of the many. That weight begins to effect the decisions you make and the people around you. Jesus can take it away, that he can wipe the slate clean, if you want the slate to be clean, and Jesus to come into your life, and you want to live your life according to him, to his grace to his power. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light Matthew 11:30.  

 

Dear Jesus  

I am a sinner, I want you to come into my life, to forgive me for my sins to wipe my heart clean by your blood, I believe that you died on the cross for me, to take the punishment for my sins, I ask you to come into my heart, and into my life, and I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Jesus for taking my sins, and your overwhelming mercy.

Amen

When you accept Jesus into your life, it changes, your heart changes. Your able to live a life and having God direct it, It is not a cake walk, he will test your faith, and he wants to be able to have a relationship with you in every aspect in every part of your life, in everything you do, and in everything you accomplish. He will change you and the way he changes you can impact others, because your no longer living by yourself, and in your own way. Your living in the way that Jesus provides.