Whenever I grow up and have children of my own, I'm reading them Bible stories every night instead of fairytales!
Why?
1. Bible stories are just as adventurous and exciting.
2. Bible stories don't put unrealistic notions of life in your head--it's truth.
3. Bible stories express what all God has done for us!!
Today's readings just really hit a chord. I didn't realize how much Moses did NOT want to do what God had told him to. I didn't realize how scared he was, how he wanted to give the responsibility to his brother, Aaron, and I didn't realize that he had such little faith! I guess I had these ethereal notions about Moses based on the movie--how wrong I was.
I can't wait to find out what happens to Moses!!
Matthew 18:7-9
"“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
Wow. So let's think about this young ladies- If we wear a short skirt that practically shows our coochie, then we are definitely causing our brothers to lust. If we wear a low-cut top that shows our boobies, then we are definitely causing our brother to lust. Brothers- if you go to the beach and don't wear a shirt, you cause us to lust. If you talk to us in a romantic or sexual way, you are causing us to lust and you take away emotional purity on both sides.
Lust. Probably one of the biggest temptations facing young people today. We see it everywhere. It's how the enemy has penetrated the world even further--through the sin and temptation of lust. Like Jesus said, "temptations are inevitable," but what we can do, is guard our hearts from those temptations. We can choose to dress in a modest way. Now that doesn't mean you have to wear long, pioneer woman skirts and bonnets all the time. Or, if you're a man, wearing trousers and suspenders. But just keep what's supposed to be covered up, covered up. It would do any man or woman of God a huge favor, and maybe even have an unbeliever stop and pause at you're choices.
When the world is telling us that it's okay to look skimpy. That slutty is equivalent to sexy. That ripped is equivalent to attractiveness. That's not okay. That's not okay at all. And if that's the world we have come to, then the devil has already won.
Matthew 18:18 "“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."
I don't want a slutty and boisterous environment in my heaven. And honestly, I get really uncomfortable when looking at girls who imitate Jersey Shore (I know that's a heavily used reference, but it's appalling). I don't judge, but I get sad at girls who think that they have to wear 7 inch stilettos, bump their hair, wear a tiny dress that reveals their booty and boobies. I just want to give them a hug and tell them, "Jesus love you this I know, for the Bible tells you so!" I look at the "teen scene" these days, and I get terrified because it's like looking in hell. Literally. Into the face of the enemy.
But Matthew 18:19-20 says, " “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”"
So there is hope. We believers and followers of Christ have to unite! We have to ask God to save this world! We have to ask God to make our generation see the error, see the enemy within their ways.
This world embraces immoral sexual sins. They think that it's better to "try them out" before marriage to know if their good in bed or not. Seriously. I have heard that argument from a friend who was trying to get me to give it up to someone. He said, "how are you going to know if you love them and can be pleased by them if you don't try them out first." Wow. And you know, at the time, I didn't know how to respond except, "No, thanks." That was an opportunity missed to share the gospel. That was an opportunity missed to maybe save his soul.
I was reminded of that this morning when reading Proverbs.
"5 Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone?
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
21 For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes.""
God wants us to have sex! He designed it to be the most amazing and incredible thing! Between a man and woman. And you know, if my future hubby doesn't "satisfy" me the first time, you know what's the best part? Is that WE HAVE OUR WHOLE LIVES TO PRACTICE!!! I don't think people understand that. God gives us the gift us sex and pleasure, but it should only be given in the realm of marriage. I don't know if y'all have ever read studies, but men receive physical pleasure, women receive emotional pleasure. I'm not going to go into detail because we are treading on dangerous waters of lust here, but basically, in the context of marriage, when you love a person so so deeply and it's a love designed through God, you are going to have the best time together no matter what.
But if you are young immoral woman, an amazing Christian man of God will want nothing to do with you. If you dress like a whore, act like a whore, and talk like a whore, then the godly young men will steer clear of you. You attract what you act. So if you act like an immoral and sinful woman, you are going to attract and immoral and sinful man. And how faithful do you think he is going to be? How well do you think he will treat you? How wonderful do you think your love will be after the honeymoon if y'all aren't constantly striving to imitate the love Christ had for us and strive to minister and serve by your relationship?
You will be miserable.
But if you are modest. If you are chaste. If every action you make glorifies God. If you desire to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," then everything else shall be added unto you. You will get a man who desires to do the same and will love you with everything he has.
Please. Let us believers work to ask God to save this world. To cast out the enemy and his demons from these night clubs and reclaim the world.
God Bless,
Lauren
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