Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtRomans 6:13 (TLB) says, "Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for His good purposes."God does not leave us hanging on questions about sexuality, intimacy, and marriage. His instruction is often straightforward. We see that in the above verse. He is not vague but uses the words "... give yourselves completely to God—every part of you." That includes your eyes, your hands, your mind and imagination, and so much more. You can't use them for sin. Everything God gives you is to use for good—for His plans and purposes. God's plan is beautiful. The devil's plan is destruction and death!The world's ever-changing view is the polar opposite, and I could not be more confused about everything regarding sex. Determining the sex of a child used to be easy and unchangeable, with no confusion. It was immediate, and you went from there, preparing the baby's room color and purchasing male or female baby clothes. The devil has actually pulled off one of the greatest victories of his existence since lying to Eve in the garden. And that is sexual confusion! It's turned the world upside down.And the world has bought into the lie that life is a sexual free-for-all where anything and everything goes. 20 and 30 years ago, that evil looked tame compared to today. We are now just learning how far the devil and the world will take sexual immorality! The groups that want freedom from guilt and hindrance to do any sexual thing they want, have bullied, name-called, sued in court, and used any and every means possible to enhance their sexual freedom. Because of that, the media is contaminated with profanity, perversion, and sexual free-for-all. Our children are now forcibly being spoon-fed perverted sexual information long before they have any capacity to understand it. And much of what they should never be exposed to at any age. The collateral damage that lies ahead for future generations is incomprehensible. And it will lead many away from Christ and instead to a false religion where everything is tolerated.An acquaintance of mine recently informed me of being emotionally lured into a relationship by a supposed minister of God's word and a married man. This man turned out to be a sexual predator preying on those he could on the Internet. Nobody is completely safe from being lured into emotional and sexual inappropriateness. Social media and the devices to view social media today make it easy to do things in secret. Having said that, nothing is a secret from God.The path of sin is always destructive and leads to death. No one gets to call acceptable, what God has called sin. Fornication, adultery, and any forms of sexual immorality, such as pornography and homosexuality, will always be sin. We can't change that. But what we can learn is what God wants for us in life—understanding that the choice to follow His ways leads us away from destruction and results in supernatural peace and joy and His blessings upon our lives. Learning to turn from a life of sin takes prayer and seeking God—beginning with giving your life to Jesus Christ. It also takes the support and atmosphere of a good Bible-teaching church and then begins the process of moving away from friendships that lead you down a wrong path and instead making new friends with whom you can grow in God together within a small group. Just thinking about this can seem like an impossible task to take on. I assure you it's not. Upon giving your life to Christ, God is there to lead and help you at every step.James 1:21-25 NIV says, "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does."
Men, God has a higher calling for your life than you can imagine. But He doesn't show us the full picture? Why? Because we'd want to shortcut getting to the top, and then we wouldn't have built the moral character it takes to live out the plan of God that He has for you. That character is built through the effort it takes. Men, you are a sexual creature but not a sexual animal. God didn't give you a sex drive to be a curse to you. He gives you the power to manage it. With the help of the Holy Spirit, he gives you the inner strength to make the right choices and turn from the wrong ones. That is a fact that you have to embrace. It will, in time, turn you into a sincere and godly man as well as a great husband, a wonderful father and mentor, and a godly influence on the world around you—again, over time! He will help you get there!Ladies, social media can become a huge contributor to your feeling more insecure all the time. Why? Because you see people and things on social media, that results in you comparing yourself and your life to others. You can easily feel you're not as beautiful or desired as the next girl, or your life is not as exciting as someone else's. It can make you feel that God is blessing them but not you. The truth is, God alone is the only one who sees every good thing in you. He made you. You are His daughter, first and foremost. He is the one you want to live for. Don't let this world lure you into exactly what NOT to do. Don't post sexual pictures of yourself. Don't try to lure men sexually. Modesty is attractive to a godly man! Don't let the devil and the world lead you down that path. Don't be a victim of your less-than-perfect life. Instead, know that every person and every life has ups and downs, no matter what they tell you! Know that God sees you. He is the only one who can love you perfectly and help lead you to the life of blessing He has planned for you. You only want the godly man who knows how to treat you with honor, love, and respect.God created sex to be beautiful within the context of marriage and only in marriage. Sex outside of marriage is sexual immorality! He put sexual desires with us to help lead us to the opposite sex so that we could build a godly relationship at the right time in life with the right person. You only want to get married because you are in love with the person that God has planned for you to do life with and because you will help each other live life wholeheartedly for God. Within that framework, sex is beautiful! A sexual relationship is never to proceed marriage, nor is it to happen with anyone outside of marriage—ever! Remember that Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." That message is becoming lost to society, but there are a few of us out here reminding you of God's intent and desire for human sexuality. It takes a real heart change to get on this path. In doing so, I promise you that God will lead you, hold your hand, and help you every step of the way—if you'll make your life and purpose about Him and the plan He has for you. Sexual desires have a small but important part to play in life in comparison to the big picture. The world wants to paint sex as the major issue of life. It's not. That would be a lie. Live for Him His way, and your life will become rich in Him. We'll talk more about intimacy, sex, and love next time in "About Sexual Desires… Part Two"Hebrews 13:4 (NLT2) "Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery."In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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