Category Archives: Purity

Wound

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knee.jpgWHENEVER YOU ARE impatient in sex, you’re going to do one of two things: you’re going to harm a good relationship, or you’re going to prolong a bad one…
When I say harm a good relationship, one of the worst things you can do is to get into premarital sex because it teaches you to communicate on a surface level. Sex becomes the power of your marriage instead of being the follow-through… You can’t run a marriage on sex.
A toddler, after scraping her knee, went to put some medicine on it as she had seen her mother do. Not knowing where the medicine was, she grabbed something that looked like it. It was in a tube like the one she’d seen her mother use. But the tube she grabbed was Super Glue. After pressing the Band-Aid down tightly, her “owie” felt better–for a time. Untill her mother removed the bandage…
If sex is used to resolve conflicts before marriage, it will be used in the same way after marriage, like the toddler using Super Glue–in a mistaken attempt to heal wounds. On the surface level it appears to be medicine, but it actually causes more harm than good. Things might “stick” together for a time, but the wounds don’t heal any more than did the toddler’s scrape. In fact, using sex to heal conflicts only makes the wounds worse.
If a couple doesn’t change their view on sex once they are married, they will continue to use sex as a substitute for real healing, thinking it’s holding the marriage together. They will look to their marriage bed to tell them if they are close or not. Their intimacy will be no greater than their last sexual experience–and will last about as long.
Biblical love, however, is modeled after Jesus. It does not seek its own pleasure. Heather Jamison, “Not As Strong As We Think,” Reclaiming Intimacy, 87-88
KneEmail: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4.3-8
Bible reading for 06.10.11: John 19.1-22; 2 Chronicles 34-36
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Media

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images (6).jpg TOO OFTEN WE hand our children items that are dangerous to them spiritually without so much as a word of instruction…
Allow me to give a few examples:
Parents give their children iPods, yet never monitor what songs their children are buying and listening to every day. Some songs that are popular can contain as many curse words in 3 minutes as a 2-hour movie.
Children are given computers and/or Internet access that without guidance can lead them into a dark world of immorality, pornography, and child predators.
Video games are bought without thought or research, simply because it is what the child wanted. Many video games have heinous and disgusting content including sex, drugs, prostitution, and highly profane language.
We have many channels in our cable/satellite packages that glorify sex, homosexuality, alcohol, drugs, and immorality all throughout the day. Yet, many parents had over the controller to their children so that they may watch who knows what while they are not even home.
Our children are blindly led into the world of sexting and lewd pictures when they are given cell phones with no guidance.
Last, but in no way least, parents allow their children onto social networks such as Facebook and Myspace without any supervision, not realizing that these “social networks” are filled with immorality and evil influence.
These are a few of the dangers that we send our children into blindly because we have never taken the time to open their eyes. If we are not careful, we could be guilty of casting our children into the modern-day, spiritual equivalent of the fires of Molech (Jeremiah 32:35) by just letting our children loose into this world of electronic media influence. Parents must take responsibility for what they allow their children to consume from these many forms of electronic media. Nathan Adams, “Media and Our Children,” THINK, Sept., ’10, 21
KneEmail: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3
Bible reading for 09.23.10: Galatians 2; Song of Solomon 1-3
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Amusements

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clean heart.jpg IN HIS BOOK Wordly Amusements, Wayne Wilson describes worldly entertainment as that which does at least one of the following…
1. Promotes an evil message. It presents evil as good. This can be done by celebrating sins, such as lying, stealing, murder, fornication, or adultery. Sin is presented in an attractive way.
2. Uses an evil method. Regardless of the point of the story, the performers are made to behave in ways that are shameless and immoral. A story may lead to the conclusion that adultery is bad, but if we must wallow through a sea of flesh to reach this conclusion, the work qualifies as worldly.
No matter how excellent the production or acting, no matter how true the moral of the story, if something promotes an evil message or uses an evil method, the discerning Christian will avoid it. And it doesn’t matter how many awards it has won! Joshua Harris, “Half A Poison Pill Won’t Kill You,” Not Even A Hint, 123
KneEmail: “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
Bible reading for 09.17.10: 2 Corinthians 10; Proverbs 27-29
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Purity

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boat.jpg
A COUPLE FROM Bakersfield, California had just purchased a new boat, but were experiencing some serious problems…
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get their 22-foot boat going. It was very sluggish no matter which way they turned, no matter how much power was applied. After about an hour of trying to make it go, they made their way over to a nearby marine, hoping someone there could tell them what was wrong.
A thorough check on the topside of the boat revealed that everything was in perfect working condition. The engine ran fine, the out drive went up and down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch. Then, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath.
He came up choking on water because he was laughing so hard.
Under the boat…still strapped securely in place…was the trailer…
THOUGHT: When God looks “under” your life, what does He see? Are you strapped to some sin that is slowly pulling you under?
KneEmail: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
Bible reading for 09.06.10: 1 Corinthians 15:29-58; Psalm 148-150
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Preserve

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rose.jpg
A TEACHER HAD twelve students in his class…
He brought into the room a box of thirteen roses. Taking one of them out of the box, he passed it around the class asking each student to handle and smell it. Afterwards, he placed it back into the box. When the class period came to a close, he passed the entire box of roses around the room for each student to get one for themselves. With twelve students and thirteen roses, naturally there would be one left.
Which do you suppose it was?
It was the one everybody had touched — the one whose petals was falling off that did not look very fresh anymore.
In like manner, we urge all of our young people to avoid becoming used and soiled. Rather, we encourage them to preserve their chastity and purity at all costs, giving themselves to one man or one woman for life. (Allen Webster, “Why Not Be a Prodigal?”)
KneEmail: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Bible reading for 08.10.10: Romans 11:1-18; Psalm 79, 80
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Blameless

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noah.h1.jpg NOAH WAS “RIGHTEOUS in his moral relations to God…”
He did what was right. This passage even says he ewas “perfect” (NASV–”blameless”). This cannot mean he was sinless (remember Genesis 9:20-21). Elders too are expected to be “blameless” (1 Timothy 3:2 KJV), but that certainly does not require sinless perfection (cf. 1 John 1:8). It does however, in both cases, indicate a comparative maturity that causes one to turn away from sin as soon as it is pointed out to him. Noah was this type of person; in fact, he “walked with God.” He accepted God’s will as his standard. He was not a part of the corrupt society of that day (Genesis 6:12). Rather, he did “according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22) with reference to the building of the ark and preaching to the sinful society of his day.
The sixty-four dollar question for all Christians today is: do we really try to live a blameless life? Do we study God’s standard and listen carefully when it is preached and turn away from sin when it is pointed out? That is what it meant to “walk with God” like Noah did. Earl Edwards, “Noah, Who Preached Righteousness, ” The Book of Genesis: Foundational Truth and Unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption, Curtis Cates, Editor, 881-882
KneEmail: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14
Bible reading for 07.08.10: Acts 15:22-41; Job 36, 37
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Desensitized

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nazi2.jpg LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE RELATES the following story…
A young Englishman was in Germany when the Nazis degrade the Jews in the streets. At first he was sick at the sight and rushed down a side street. The next time he felt he could look and stopped for a full minute. The third time he watched. The fourth time, as he stood with the jeering crowd, the sight seemed less revolting. He was becoming, he told himself, “objective.” And with this came the realization of his peril. This was not a part of life, a social phenomenon for study, It was the breath of hell (E.M. Blaiklock, Leadership, Winter, 1983).
THOUGHT: How can can one reach such depths that he becomes desensitized? How sad that so many have become callused to the things that go on around us.
. An unborn child is killed every 20 seconds.
. There were over 1,750,000 last year.
. God and the mention of Jesus have become a matter of abhorrence and have replaced in schools trumpted with condoms, safe sex, and godless humanism.
. Our society glorifies murder, rape, adultery, homosexuality, nudity, profanity, and fornication through movies and television.
. Churches have reached out to those in immoral relationships and accepted them.
Many have become desensitized to sin. Mark S. Aites, “Indifference,” Life’s Daily Struggles, The 31st Annual Lectureship–ETSOPM, 256-257
KneEmail: “‘Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were no ashamed; nor did they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down,” says the LORD.” Jeremiah 8:12
Bible reading for 04.22.10: Luke 17:1-19; 2 Samuel 14-15
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Lust

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apa.jpg
DURING WORLD WAR II, Nazi Germany dropped pornographic pamphlets from the sky over enemy territory…
The reason; to distract the soldiers minds with fascinations causing them to ignore the front line. This has been the strategy of porn from its inception; while we fight the diversionary tactic of pornography, the enemy rolls in behind our backs and destroys our homes.
Imagine conquering an entire nation in less than sixty years by simply planting destructive seed in the minds of a few men and watching it spread to the masses. That is what Satan did through the likes of Hugh Heffner and Bob Guccione in the 50s when Playboy and Penthouse became nationally distributred magazines. Over the years, images of undressed women and men engaged in illicit activity have jumped from the pages of embarrassed to purchase magazines to the privacy of our own personal computer screens. Today, US porn revenue exceeds the revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC combined and contrary to its previous consumer group of mostly adult males; its largest demography today is 12 – 17 year old males and females.
Jesus knew that something as small as gazing at the bait would lead to total entrapment. Paul Kendall
KneEmail: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28
Bible reading for 02.17.10: Mark 1:1-22; Leviticus 23, 24
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Gift

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give3.jpgA COLLEGE SENIOR shares…
“When we date, we start giving gifts, like flowers or candy.
When a couple becomes engaged, they give special things–a diamond and very personal things.
The most personal gift that I can ever give is myself. I have nothing more precious to give. When I marry, I want to give my husband the best that I have–my whole self as completely as I can.”
KneEmail: “For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.” 1 Thessalonians 4:2-4
Bible reading for 11.05.09: Hebrews 2; Jeremiah 34 – 36
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Reap

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wheat.jpgEVER PLANT A garden…?
Or maybe just a few flowers in a bed or a plant in a pot? Something makes it possible for the gardener to function, or a farmer to produce a crop is a “law” of nature. “Law” really isn’t a very good word, but because it really is just an observation of the consistency of nature. Whatever kind of seed is planted is the kind of plant that will be produced. A farmer can know that when he plants wheat, that wheat is the plant that will grow. It is not random or arbitrary. Wheat seed produces wheat plants and corn seed produces corn plants. Farmers and gardeners can count on it.
What is just as true, though not as readily recognized, is that this same “law” applies in all of life. Whatever a person sows, that is what they will reap. To think otherwise is not only ludicrous, it also mocks God.
We have two choices. We either sow to the flesh or the spirit. This same letter outlines the differences between living according to the flesh and according to the spirit (Galatians 516-18). Sowing to the flesh is involvement in the “deeds of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). The consequence os involvement in these is corruption and exclusion from God’s kingdom (Galatians 5:21; 6:8). This is the harvest resulting from sowing those seeds. Just as surely as planting wheat seeds results in a harvest of wheat. We can count on it. (David Deffenbaugh, Bill McFarland)
KneEmail: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7
Bible reading for 07.21.09: Acts 23:1-15; Job 29, 30
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