JanMary

1)No, Christianity was not a reality when God spoke about becoming one flesh in Genesis. I believe we become "one flesh" with whomever we are sexually intimate....During the deliverance process, soul ties are broken to anyone with whom sexual intimacy has taken place, be it with a prostitute or whomever, which is natural law. There is a union formed, regardless of whether or not there was a ceremony. On the news tonight, there was a report about "recreational sex" on college campuses. There seems to be no awareness among the participants, that they leave a part of themselves with each partner, and will be fragmented emotionally as a result. 2)According to what Jesus said, all have been joined together by God in the marital union. Not all marriages reflect God's desire for the couple, however. In yesterday's question, I mentioned leaving a marriage of abuse, neglect and adultery. I don't personally believe God would have us stay in a dangerous, abusive marriage, where our lives are at stake or where there is real abuse, whether or not adultery is a factor. This is where the spirit of the law comes in.

1)He didn't really side, but leaned a bit toward Rabbi Shammai's interpretation. 2)He gave the exception for adultery. 3)The 4th verse in Deut. speaks of having sexual relations with more than one person, causes one to be defiled, which brings guilt upon the land. Thank God for healing and forgiveness...I married a man after high school who was unfaithful 3 weeks after we married...there had been no way to discern that he was a sex addict, gambling addict, etc. I didn't know to pray about marriage, as I was an unbeliever. We divorced after several years of unbearable heartache and abandonment as he stayed away more and more from from trysts with women, and gambling "trips". Then I married again, a faithful man, but he was grieving the unexpected death of his wife after one year of marriage, from melanoma. Both of us were broken, wounded young people, and we stayed together, and reared 2 wonderful children. Several years into our marriage, we both became Christians, and endeavored to have a christian marriage....God's miracles sometimes take time...in our case, 41 years. In our 42nd year of marriage, we are experiencing the miracle God promised me in 1979, if I would stay and pray instead of leaving. (He was from a cult, and had a hard heart and many bondages from that, too) I've was in Christian 12-step for years, to work through my many issues, strongholds, etc. and the Lord changed both of us, gradually. I'm so glad the Lord gave us the courage and perserverence to stay and trust Him to heal our wounds and broken hearts. He is a faithful God!!! Just wanted to give Him glory for fulfilling His promise to me and for His power to heal even the most damaged of His children.

1) Jesus was telling us to be IN the world but not OF the world, because the world is almost always in opposition to His values. The advertising industry appeals to our lus+s because we all have a fallen human nature susceptible to the lure, but which can be controlled by the Holy Spirit( if we will yield to Him after we have been redeemed.) The serpent got to Eve by drawing attention to the one thing God withheld from she and Adam, and convincing her she would be more complete if she went after it. The Super Bowl is a predominantly male venue, but Victoria's Secret spent 3 million on a 30 second ad banking on the lus+ of the flesh to score them huge sales for Valentine's Day. We're told every hour practically, "You need to buy or eat this to make your flesh happy", "you don't have this and you NEED it to feel good about yourself", "You need this car or house to feel superior to your neighbors or co-workers". To continue to yield to "The lus+ of the eye, the lus+ of the flesh and the pride of life", leads to a downward spiral toward depravity & hedonism, whereas Jesus calls us to "be consecrated, separated and set apart for pure and holy living: that we should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice, and lus+, that each one us us should know how to possess, (control, manage) his/her own body in consecration, (purity, separated from things profane) and honor. Not to be used in the passion of lus+ like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will". He is our way out of the pit of lus+. 1 Thess. 4:3-5 2)The love of God drew me to Himself when He redeemed my life from the slimy pit of sin, and continues to draw me, to rely on His strength to "Shun youthful lusts and flee from them and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word and deed): and aim at and pursue faith, love, and peace in fellowship with all Christians." 11 Tim.2:22 I still slip at times, but thank God we have a Savior who convicts, comforts, & counsels, His beloved children. I was advised as a young believer to send Jesus to answer the door when Satan knocks, and that has "saved my bacon" countless times when my eyes were beginning to be drawn toward temptation.

1)It's not likely that a brother would share this with me since I'm a female, but I learned in Christian 12 step work for co dependents, that the greatest hindrance to getting free from an addiction is to keep it secret. When others have shared about various addictions, I've thanked them for trusting me with their burden, and told them that they are not alone in their addiction and that help is available in a variety of places. "Every Man's Battle", by Steven Arterburn is an excellent resource for sexual and p*rn addiction. I think that is where I'd start, by suggesting he become informed about the nature of this addiction and the resources for help listed in the book. I have prayed on the spot, when appropriate, with the one sharing the burden, asking the Lord to wrap His loving arms around the individual, and to bring them deliverance, freedom and wholeness, and to set them free from the shame and guilt which feeds the addiction, and to lead them to the place of His choosing for their recovery and deliverance. Then I pray regularly for them in my prayer closet. 2)There are filters available to filter out por* which I heard about at church, from Christian resources, but I didn't have a computer at the time and didn't write the information down. I've heard from others with children who use computers, that to place the computer in a public place in the home is also a deterent, so that others walking by can see what is on the screen, and this helps to keep one accountable, rather than holing up in a private place where temptation is greater. Men tend to be less forthcoming about these things, but my Pastor talks about how important it is to have another guy to hold one accountable....to give him permission to ask the tough questions and to pray for one another. We don't get free by ourselves, or in a vacuum. When Lazarus came out bound by the grave clothes, Jesus told his disciples to unwrap him and set him free. I love that picture of our brothers and sisters assisting us to come out of our bondage, in a loving and gentle way. 3)There are filters for t.v. to screen out objectionable programs and movies. I was scrolling through the dial one night when I was unable to go to sleep and ran across a vile, homosexual act going on in a movie. That picture is seared into my brain! The next day we made changes to what channels we will allow to come into our home. That was a Showtime late night movie, and we cancelled Showtime. 4) If one has a problem with lus* at the beach or the pool, I think to pray beforehand for the Lord to guard the heart, confessing the tendency or temptation to lus*, and asking for his help. We are told to guard the heart, and the eyes, because we have an enemy, and prayer is the guard...the blood of Jesus is a shield. Wisdom says to avoid the places where we fall into sin. I was counseled as a young believer, to RUN from tempation and "when Satan knocks at the door, to send Jesus to answer". That advice has "saved" me a number of times.

1) We are cautioned about what we allow our eyes to look at....for what we see will draw the focus of our thoughts and emotions, which lead to our actions. Pornorgraphy is highly addictive....I read recently that because it seems like a "secret" sin, that even up to 25 percent of pastors are addicted to *********** on the web. Pornograpy enslaves the viewer leading to shame and defeat, from the barrage of lustful, adulterous thoughts. It demeans women, portraying them as sex objects to be used. It's an amazing tool of Satan to destroy lives and marriages. 2) Prostitution is fornication if the individual is single, and adultery if the individual is married. It is the breaking of God's commandment. ( I loved it when I realized as a young believer, that His commandments are given to PROTECT us from harm and enslavement...not to limit our pleasures.) 3) The victims are the prostitutes who are used, the individuals who use them, and in many cases, spouses of married "customers".

1) Any sexual desire outside the bounds of marriage is forbidden ****. He made it so simple...no ifs, ands or buts. The marriage bed is God's gift and is the only place to experience God-given sexual pleasure which Has His blessing.

1) The similarity is that Adultery begins in the mind, ******* after that which does not belong to me. Jesus said "If you've lusted in your heart after another, you've commited adultery." The difference is, if it stops with **** and isn't carried to the physical level, you've sinned against your own flesh and against God, and your spouse, but have not harmed another by joining yourself to them physically creating a soul tie. 2)We are told in the commandment not to covet ANYTHING that belongs to another.

1) He's teaching about harmonious horizontal relationships....Because we love God with all of our heart, soul and Mind, we are to love our neighbor as our self. We come to Him to be filled with His love, then we can love those around us as He does.

1) The point is to seek quick resolution out of motive of reconciliation....not wait until forced to do so. 2) We are to settle with the one we have wounded, injured, owe a "debt" of some kind....our accuser, or adversary. 3)Settling, involves conviction, repentance, restitution....seeking forgiveness...for harmonious relationship to be restored. 4) Scripture teaches that we are to "Owe no man anything, except the debt of love"...."Love does no wrong to one's neighbor, (it never hurts anybody) therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. 13:8, 10. Jesus was teaching the spirit of the law again in this parable, the Law of Love.

1) It's impossible to worship God in Spirit & in truth, when we have a guilty conscience.....we're distracted by the issue which takes our focus off of God and onto either our offense against someone, or theirs against us. 2)to go to the person in humility and seek to be reconciled through confession and repentance and forgiveness if it will be given by the offended party. 3) As far as we can take it as long as the other party is willing to discuss it. 4)I think there are. If the offended party refuses to forgive and to be reconciled, or if the offending party is unwilling to be reconciled. We can only do our part, and leave the matter in the Lord's hands.

1)Our thoughts precede our actions. Jesus said regarding adultery, If you've lusted in your heart, you've done it, so to speak. Murder begins with murderous rage in the thoughts first. Calling someone a fool is meant to harm the individual, and "kills" the spirit. 2)All attempts to wound others is sin. 3) I had some really bad teaching as a young Christian, that all anger is sin....This drove me into denial about ever being angry and was very detrimental emotionally. Eventually, I learned that anger is a God given emotion, which is meant to move us toward positive change. ie: to move us out of abusive situations, or bondage, or to look within at what our response is to different situations. Knowing that holding onto angry attitudes is sin, caused me to be quick to bring my anger to the Lord, for His help in dealing with it. I learned to be a quick forgiver, and to journal about the anger to get it outside of myself, rather than to attack someone with it. Christian Psychologist H. Norman Wright tell us that anger is a powerful force of energy which if allowed to stay inside, can cause illness, so it must be dealt with. Journaling is a healthy way to do this, then to give the anger to the Lord, forgive the offender, and release them to the Lord. This method helped to rid me of years of buried anger over abuses and injustice in childhood. I had forgiven when I became a Christian, but the anger stuffed down inside was making me physically ill, and I'm free now. My abusers are free as well, and never heard me vent my rage at them. All the pretending did was prolong my internal "boiling".

1) Not in our church, but I've read that this is becoming quite common, along with no longer talking about sin, and the Blood of Jesus, because "it offends people". I've heard it said that because Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, they are no longer relevent in some churches, especially some of the seeker churches. 2) Legalism is focusing on outward conformity to rules of man. ie: I was told once years ago, that it's a sin for a woman to wear pants, especially to church. When a church is devoid of the Holy Spirit's leadership, this kind of bondage creeps in. We didn't stay long in that church....rigid, cold, lifeless place, BUT EVERY WOMAN WORE DRESSES, and looked critically at the few who didn't. 3)I'm not sure how to answer the last question....I was thinking of the other extreme of legalism, which is lawlessness, but I'm not sure what Pastor Ralph was looking for. I'll look forward to reading other's input on this. Maybe conformity to attendance, or "the way we do things here".

1)Both sections have to do with quenching the Spirit of God. 2)The light I have is His light. If I hide it, all one sees is my flesh, and that will never bring Him glory. He is glorified when others see Him shining through me. 3)We war not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities, and Satan hates The Light. If he can't seduce us into hiding The Light, he seems to delight in persecuting those who let it shine. Suffering for the Lord's sake, brings Him glory. 4 & 5)Yes, to both. Hebrews 5:8 & 9 tells us that "Although He was a Son, He learned active, special obedience through what He suffered and, His (completed experience) making Him perfectly equipped, He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him. (see Is. 45:17) We are not above our Master, and will suffer too. 5) Quenching the Spirit of God IS being conformed to this world. He calls us to be transformed, changed into His Image, by the renewing of our minds, so that eventually, we will no longer think and act like the world, but like our Savior.

I think the danger Jesus was talking about was what Paul exhorted us about in I Thess:5:19, "Do not quench, suppress or subdue the Holy spirit". That was a sobering thought when I realized I had the potential to do such a wicked thing. The oil is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. The lamps would go out when the oil ran out, so they had to be filled on a regular basis and the wicks trimmed. God's promise is that He will not quench a smoldering wick. As long as there is His life in me, He will do His part to fan it into flame. My part is to be filled with the "oil" of the Holy Spirit, and to let Him shine....rather than quenching His work and His Light in my life.

1) The symptoms I experienced, were lifelessness, and trying to live in the "in between" realm...not really fully in the world, but not living for Christ either...no fruitfulness. I was convicted, but trying to ignore it, I had no peace. 2) Yes, I was in this place once...and I was miserable. Knew that willful sin and disobedience had "neutralized" me, and I no longer felt like I could share Christ or be a witness for Him...didn't feel like I belonged anyplace any more. My Dad was violent and abusive, and I was really rebelling against him, because I had mixed his attributes into my idea of who God is. 3) I don't know what people noticed about me, but in others, I notice a facade or fakeness has taken over their demeanor. They may still speak "christianese", but it doesn't ring true anymore. Because I was there once, it's easy to recognize the lack of zeal. The passion for Christ has been diminished. They are "flat" and conflicted, and seem half alive. 4) Thank God I don't "live on that street" anymore. Never want to be in that place of torment again. Feedback I get, is that I'm radical in my faith, stable, an evangelist, approachable, non judgmental, spontaneous and fun, honest, trustworthy, and an encourager to others......I thank God He has given me those gifts, and I live with a new appreciation and zest for life...after being a prodigal daughter who has returned and been welcomed home. 5)YES!!! Thank God. He brought me back to saltiness, through pursuing me with conviction, and wooing me back with His love. I don't regret that time because of all that I learned about the Father He is....He has none of my Dad's negative qualities, and the time in the pig pen caused me to search out who God truly is. I never want to leave the safety of His arms again.

Individuals come to Christ one at a time, and each generation must hear the Gospel of Jesus in order to be saved. Using the preservation analogy, Christians "hold the ground" or "stand in the gap"preserving what the Lord has gained so that the next sinner can be saved, and the next generation can as well. I think the seasoning analogy, is that salt is truth, the spark which brings light and life into the darkness of fallen human nature. The woman who was salt to me when I was seeking to find Truth, was just an ordinary Mom of a kindergartener who walked her daughter to school with my daughter and I. But her conversation always had that spark of life, and hope, and truth, not preaching, but a calm confidence in the Lord. When I totalled my car in an rollover accident on an icy road, she literally brought delicious food to sustain us when I was in bed, and yes, it was seasoned with salt, but again, her encouragement and words of comfort, were the salt which led me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior, when I accompanied her to a Bible study later on. I have thanked her for being salt to me....and for not "staying safely in the salt shaker", but for sharing truth with me....so that my life was preserved from destruction and hell.

It's the upside down pyramid principle again....God's kindom is just the opposite of the world's values. In the world view, the strongest, most powerful reigns at the top; In God's kingdom it's the greatest servants, and the least, in the world's eyes who "are first". To pursue righteousness is like a salmon swimming against the flow of the world-view stream. The world, or the "go along to get along" mentality, grates against the idea of true spiritual seekers. It helps me to remember that we are in a spiritual battle....not against the flesh but with "powers and principalities" who are at war with Jesus and His disciples. I liked this question because it reminds me to stop expecting to be eased along in my search for righteousness, by those who have no interest in true spirituality. The upstream swim is supposed to make me strong. Someone said a few years ago that they'd never seen a flabby salmon... I think He is speaking of the heart attitude which longs for Christ to be supreme in my life, so that He lives His life through me. Corrie Ten Boom expressed the idea that she was striving to be the glove Jesus filled. Mother Theresa said she was the pencil in God's hand. When we live in that realm of surrender, we are promised to be completely satisfied and fulfilled...filled with Him.

QUOTE (Pastor Ralph @ Dec 20 2007, 02:40 AM) Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? How is humility important to Christlikeness? When I thought about this, the Lord brought to mind a beautiful stallion, with powerful muscles, flaring nostrils, rearing on his magnificent hind legs...That's how the world sees strength..unbridled and wild. Conversely, that same stallion, who has been tamed, and bridled, and is now under his masters control, will allow children to ride upon his back, is I think, Biblical meekness....Strength under control. Jesus on earth was always under the control of The Holy Spirit, and gentle enough to draw babies to Himself, yet when confronted with the evil in the temple, used whips of cords and overturned the money changers tables...strength under the control of the Holy Spirit, always without sin. Humility IS Christ likeness. The fruit of the Spirit is His nature, and I'm exhorted in Scripture to allow His nature to indwell me, and to allow His Spirit to produce His fruit in and through me. My Amplified Bible, uses meekness and humility as synonyms for Gentleness. I like that! I love that Jesus is gentle and humble, able to quiet my fears and speak tenderly to me, yet has the power to hold the Universe together! To be Christ like, I don't have to be a wuss. I can rely on His Spirit to give me strength and courage when in my own strength I would cower in a corner or under the bed, then in humility, give Him the glory for the victory instead of claiming it for myself.

In my life, I had to come to the end of myself...my plans, resources, experiences, before I even knew I was poverty stricken spiritually, and needed a Savior. I couldn't ask for Him until I realized I wasn't enough, then I sought Him with all my heart, and He sent people to share with me how to receive Him. The mourning I did was for my past sins, and for the years spent living in darkness apart from my precious Lord and Savior. I grieved for the injuries I'd done to others, and for choices I'd made which took me down paths I wished I hadn't taken. (Although as the years have gone by, I see how He has used all of those things for good and for His glory in that I feel compassion for sinners instead of self righteousness, and are a platform to share about His love and forgiveness) I've wept over evil committed in our world, over the lostness of souls around me, or that I've read about in the newspaper. I live near San Francisco, and I've mourned over the degradation and darkness in that gorgeous city. As I've grown in Christ and in forgiveness, I've mourned over the sins committed against me as a child...death threats by my parents, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.....the mourning brought release to forgive the abusers, and eventually, I mourned for their brokenness and lostness, and that they didn't know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The first part is the heart attitude He desires , and second part is the reward or promise for the Godly attitude. I think He wants us to see that His kingdom is upside down from the world's point of view. In the world, the greatest, is the most powerful, and sits at the pinnacle of a pyramid, if you will. His kingdom turns the pyramid paradigm upside down, and the least, most humble, greatest servants are at the top and the most gifted in the worlds eyes are at the bottom. His method seemed to be to jolt us into completely new thought patterns, and to start thinking about what He values rather than what the world values....almost always opposites. I loved the fruit of the Spirit part of the question, and will be thinking about that all week. Thank you to those who responded so eloquently on this. I'm really looking forward to studying with all of you, and know that I'll be enriched and challenged by your input. I'm new to computers, and it's taken me an hour to figure out how to post my response.....