REAL TALK (PART III) - This thang is serious ya'll
Good day to you all...for those who haven't been reading continually, I began this past Thursday, responding to an inquiry that I received on 6-27-05 when I was writing about "Lord, I believe but help my unbelief." Someone responded and the response was so poignant and heartfelt, I felt compelled to address the questions that the writer composed.
Today's blog is titled, Real Talk (Part III) I took the writer’s inquiry and put my responses in CAPS.
What is it when there are those few things that you can't seem to beat and stay in victory? THERE IS GOING TO BE A THORN IN THE FLESH THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTEND WITH, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. AM I SAYING TO GIVE UP FIGHTING? NO, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT PAUL LEFT IT ON RECORD WHEN HE ASKED GOD THREE TIMES TO TAKE AWAY HIS THORN. THE THING THAT ADJITATED HIM, THE THING THAT BOTHERED HIM, THE THING THAT HE PRAYED AND ASKED GOD TO TAKE SO THAT HE COULD REALLY LIVE FOR HIM BUT GOD’S RESPONSE WAS, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!” THIS IS PAUL THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, THE SAME PAUL THAT WAS A RELIGIOUS FREAK BEFORE HIS CONVERSION. THIS IS THE SAME PAUL THAT WROTE TWO THIRDS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. EVERY ONE OF US HAS AN ISSUE, SIN, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THAT IS RECURRING IN OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS. SOMEDAYS WE THINK WE'VE FINALLY BEAT THIS ONE DILEMMA AND WE OFTEN THROW IN THE TOWEL WHEN IT CREEPS BACK UP BECAUSE WE'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OF MAN'S TECHNIQUES IN TRYING TO GET RID OF IT. THIS IS HOW WE PHRASE IT, "IF I COULD GET RID OF _______, THEN I COULD REALLY LIVE FOR GOD." OR, BETTER YET, THOSE OF US WHO ARE SINGLE WILL SAY, "WHEN I GET MARRIED, THEN I CAN REALLY BE SAVED BECAUSE IT'S TOO HARD TO FIGHT THE TEMPTATION." ALL TO FIND OUT THAT AFTER THE WEDDING IS OVER, YOU STILL WILL HAVE FLESH ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTEND WITH. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'S SO HARD IS BECAUSE MANY OF US WERE GIVEN SOME FLUFF MESSAGE FROM THE PULPIT, LIKE "SHAME ON YOU IF YOU'RE BEING TEMPTED...SHAME ON YOU FOR THINKING THOSE NASTY THOUGHTS, SHAME ON YOU FOR EVEN ALLOWING YOUR MIND TO ENTERTAIN YOU KNOCKING THE BOOTS WITH SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YOUR SPOUSE." WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THIS CRAP FOR SO LONG, WE BEAT OUR OWNSELVES UP SO BAD BECAUSE WE FORGET THAT JESUS TOLD US IN THE GOSPELS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TRIBULATIONS IN THE WORLD. HE DIDN'T SAY THEY WOULD STOP AFTER WE REACHED A CERTAIN PLATEAU, BUT WE'VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE, FROM THE PULPIT SOMEHOW, THAT THERE IS THIS UTOPIA WHERE YOU WILL CEASE FROM LABORING...BUT THAT'S A LIE! WE WILL STRUGGLE WITH SOMETHING UNTIL WE NO LONGER HAVE BREATH IN THE BODY...SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND YOUR CONTROL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. STOP LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU, INSTEAD, FOCUS IN ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. FOR INSTANCE, THE WAY I RESPOND WHEN I WANT TO HAVE SEX IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK. A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD A DIFFERENT CROWD AROUND ME THAT AGITATED MY HORMONES, NOW LOOKING BACK, I'VE CHANGED MY CROWD...BIG TIME. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT MY WALK WITH THE LORD IS ALOT MORE INTIMATE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH HE KNOWS MY THOUGHTS, I'M ABLE TO VOCALIZE THEM TO HIM...I UNDERSTAND MY PURPOSE AND DESTINY NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE AND I WON'T ALLOW THE ENEMY TO MAKE ME THINK I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT MY BODY WAS CREATED FOR SEX...BUT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF MARRIAGE. I COULDN'T LOOK AT MY SITUATION FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE A FEW YEARS AGO. SO DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP SO BAD AND LEARN HOW TO BEGIN TO DISCUSS WITH THE LORD, VOCALLY, REGARDING YOUR INADEQUACIES. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT GOD DOES CARE AND IS INTERESTED IN YOU OVERCOMING YOUR PAST HURTS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. HE'S GOT A VESTED INTEREST IN YOU AND WANTS TO SEE YOU STANDING STRONG AND VICTORIOUS.
TO BE CONTINUED....
Today's blog is titled, Real Talk (Part III) I took the writer’s inquiry and put my responses in CAPS.
What is it when there are those few things that you can't seem to beat and stay in victory? THERE IS GOING TO BE A THORN IN THE FLESH THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTEND WITH, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. AM I SAYING TO GIVE UP FIGHTING? NO, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT PAUL LEFT IT ON RECORD WHEN HE ASKED GOD THREE TIMES TO TAKE AWAY HIS THORN. THE THING THAT ADJITATED HIM, THE THING THAT BOTHERED HIM, THE THING THAT HE PRAYED AND ASKED GOD TO TAKE SO THAT HE COULD REALLY LIVE FOR HIM BUT GOD’S RESPONSE WAS, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!” THIS IS PAUL THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, THE SAME PAUL THAT WAS A RELIGIOUS FREAK BEFORE HIS CONVERSION. THIS IS THE SAME PAUL THAT WROTE TWO THIRDS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. EVERY ONE OF US HAS AN ISSUE, SIN, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THAT IS RECURRING IN OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS. SOMEDAYS WE THINK WE'VE FINALLY BEAT THIS ONE DILEMMA AND WE OFTEN THROW IN THE TOWEL WHEN IT CREEPS BACK UP BECAUSE WE'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OF MAN'S TECHNIQUES IN TRYING TO GET RID OF IT. THIS IS HOW WE PHRASE IT, "IF I COULD GET RID OF _______, THEN I COULD REALLY LIVE FOR GOD." OR, BETTER YET, THOSE OF US WHO ARE SINGLE WILL SAY, "WHEN I GET MARRIED, THEN I CAN REALLY BE SAVED BECAUSE IT'S TOO HARD TO FIGHT THE TEMPTATION." ALL TO FIND OUT THAT AFTER THE WEDDING IS OVER, YOU STILL WILL HAVE FLESH ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTEND WITH. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'S SO HARD IS BECAUSE MANY OF US WERE GIVEN SOME FLUFF MESSAGE FROM THE PULPIT, LIKE "SHAME ON YOU IF YOU'RE BEING TEMPTED...SHAME ON YOU FOR THINKING THOSE NASTY THOUGHTS, SHAME ON YOU FOR EVEN ALLOWING YOUR MIND TO ENTERTAIN YOU KNOCKING THE BOOTS WITH SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YOUR SPOUSE." WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THIS CRAP FOR SO LONG, WE BEAT OUR OWNSELVES UP SO BAD BECAUSE WE FORGET THAT JESUS TOLD US IN THE GOSPELS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TRIBULATIONS IN THE WORLD. HE DIDN'T SAY THEY WOULD STOP AFTER WE REACHED A CERTAIN PLATEAU, BUT WE'VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE, FROM THE PULPIT SOMEHOW, THAT THERE IS THIS UTOPIA WHERE YOU WILL CEASE FROM LABORING...BUT THAT'S A LIE! WE WILL STRUGGLE WITH SOMETHING UNTIL WE NO LONGER HAVE BREATH IN THE BODY...SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND YOUR CONTROL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. STOP LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU, INSTEAD, FOCUS IN ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. FOR INSTANCE, THE WAY I RESPOND WHEN I WANT TO HAVE SEX IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK. A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD A DIFFERENT CROWD AROUND ME THAT AGITATED MY HORMONES, NOW LOOKING BACK, I'VE CHANGED MY CROWD...BIG TIME. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT MY WALK WITH THE LORD IS ALOT MORE INTIMATE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH HE KNOWS MY THOUGHTS, I'M ABLE TO VOCALIZE THEM TO HIM...I UNDERSTAND MY PURPOSE AND DESTINY NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE AND I WON'T ALLOW THE ENEMY TO MAKE ME THINK I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT MY BODY WAS CREATED FOR SEX...BUT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF MARRIAGE. I COULDN'T LOOK AT MY SITUATION FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE A FEW YEARS AGO. SO DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP SO BAD AND LEARN HOW TO BEGIN TO DISCUSS WITH THE LORD, VOCALLY, REGARDING YOUR INADEQUACIES. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT GOD DOES CARE AND IS INTERESTED IN YOU OVERCOMING YOUR PAST HURTS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. HE'S GOT A VESTED INTEREST IN YOU AND WANTS TO SEE YOU STANDING STRONG AND VICTORIOUS.
TO BE CONTINUED....
posted by Pastor Rich at 10:45 AM
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