21 replies to this topic

[Thinker]

Lust is intense desire. It can be an intense desire for something good or something evil. If we lust enough, we usually end up being, doing or acquiring that for which we lust. Isn't it strange that we lust far more for things that are not good than for things that are good?

Actually, it is not strange at all. We are born with Adam's fallen nature dominating our lives. We naturally seek many things that have no lasting value and/or that can damage us in this life and the one to come. If we long for our lives to be good, we do it because we want respect, we want to be thought of as moral and decent and we are afraid of the consequences of doing or being wrong.

The real tragedy is that we don't naturally seek after or crave God. Paul pointed this out in Romans 3:11. He says, under inspiration, for them and us, "....there is none that seeketh after God." An even far greater tragedy is when those who profess to know Him, in a saving relationship, have no real craving for Him, Himself. We want His blessings, His help and His approval but do we crave to know Him and fellowship with Him on an intimate level? In all honesty, how great is our intense desire to bask in the joy of spending quality time in His Presence?

Let's let His revealing of Himself in the Bible bring about a craving for Him that would motivate us to cry out like the psalmist in Psalms 42:1-2, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" Selah! "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." What a promise! Are we famished for God?

Thinker (Ron)

[Travis Richey]

Your closing verse is a very important one, and one I am reminded of often as I read and hear the verse that preceeds it used by itself. God does have wonderful plans for us...when we seek him whole-heartedly, and with the totality of our being....totally surrendered to Him and His Will. It is then that His plans become a joy and we begin to realize that His ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our thoughts. Living by faith is a challenge for us in our falleness, but as I've been reminded this past couple of weeks in a little chorus, "the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows". In other words, as I live through a cycle of faith, I am strengthened for the next one, and strengthened even more for the one after that. As Paul writes in Romans, "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." God is creating in ech of us the character of Christ, and the hope of Himself, and doing so through trials of faith. In those trials and troubles, when we seek God with all our heart, learn to be surrendered to Him totally, then that character starts being built, and our hope in God strengthened.

[Thinker]

Travis, Thanks for your "right on" comments. Relating to God, for many in our day, often seems to be only a tepid involvement. He comes to mind occasionally in our daily lives or when at church or have a need. How many experience an intense longing to know God in a deep and rich communion? Then there are a few that crave for a personal consciousness of Him, for Himself. They crave Him like a man in the desert, with burning thirst, craves for water and like a starving man longs for even some crumbs (anything) to alleviate starvation. I pray that some of these thoughts might generate a great hunger and thirst for an ever increasing closeness to and knowledge of Him. May the Holy Spirit use them to that end. Thinker (Ron)

[Charles Miles]

I read this thread several days ago and thought at the time that it was full of good thoughts and lessons. Since then we have had a Krispy Cream Donut shop open a block or so down the street from my office, and 4 people slept outside the door of that shop for 3 days so they could get free donuts for the next 5 years! They slept outside in the rain and heat just to get free donuts!! The lines to get into the shop have been hundreds of people long for almost a week now. Amazing!!! Getting up and going to church is just too hard for many people and finding time to spend with the Lord, in His word, is just too difficult in this busy world....BUT people will spend days sleeping on a sidewalk just for free donuts. If we advertised that Jesus was going to be in our church next Sunday, would the parking lot be full? How many people would sleep for 3 days outside the church door just to be the first ones inside? How about if we notified everyone that Holy Spirit would attend our service Sunday, would the place be packed out? Would people stand in line for hours just to meet Him? Well, He should be at your church next Sunday...and if He isn`t, you need to know why He isn`t there. Donuts are not eternal, the Holy Spirit is.

[Travis Richey]

Amen!!! How can donuts and i-phone 5's be more important than our souls? Or our neighbors souls.

[Thinker]

Charles and Travis, Right on! Getting our priorities right is long overdue for too many of God's people. Thinker (Ron)

[Candice]

Tozer: "There are churches so completely out of the hands of God, that if the Holy Ghost withdrew from them, they wouldn't know it for three months... And they'd never find it out". Why? Because we're not craving intensely enough. Listen to thisTozer sermon; fairly brief. It's out dependence up on the Holy Spirit that creates the craving which creates dependence, which creates craving.....and on and on. I think we want to experience the Spirit of God. Also, I think I feel guilty when I've got so much work to get done to justify my existence that spending hours a day in prayer and reading and meditating on the Word seems like laziness. That's just my twisted flesh.

[Lori Smith]

Thinker,

I think part of the problem is the residue left over from Greek philosophy. What I mean is that the early church was exposed to Platonic thought. This type of thinking produced an image of an unapproachable God with emanations that came from him. Later Aristotle influenced Thomas Aquinas who saw everything as part of created order. They in turn saw the church as an institution that replaced one's relationship with God. All of this influence was taught in seminaries, and even men like Jonathan Edwards believed it was blasphemous to consider a God who actually engages in a back and forth relationship with people. However, if you go back to our Jewish roots, you will rediscover a God who is passionately engaged with men (Even the sacrifices asked for the people to participate with God. It was about reconciliation). Indeed, that is His primary motivation--relationship.

Fortunately, we are seeing many new Messianic teachers of late who are teaching Christians how to see Jesus through Jewish eyes. Often this helps us replace our thinking of God as One who desires to love us rather than a God who desires to be worshiped only (Greek thinking; Calvinism).

Certainly, this is not against anything Greek! What I am saying, however, is that God established a people in the Old Testament. He selected them and taught them about who He was. This was how God Self-identified. When we lost touch with our Jewish roots after the first century, we also lost this understanding--an understanding that God desires a two-way relationship with His people. Of course this is a simplistic account (but that's all I can do here).

Blessings!
Lori

[Thinker]

Lori and others, To me, just one verse makes a powerful case for a two way relationship between God and His children. James 4:8 tells us, "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you...." It doesn't get any better than that. Thinker (Ron)

[Alabi Lasbat]

Hi guys,
I have just recently re dedicated my life to christ and I have this longing to know Him.....thing is I am not even sure if my longing is enough. The better part of my days I don't even feel Him close, I don't experience that joy that comes from communion. I don't know what to do. I really am getting frustrated. Must I leave my job and just focus on Him. I really need Him but I seem to be doing something wrong.

Please help me.

[Charles Miles]

Alabi, I`m not even sure I`m the one to respond to your question, but let me offer a suggestion or two. You have already done the main, most important thing when you chose to let Christ lead your life and turned things over to Him. I love it when I hear of people such as you and the decision you made. Please don`t confuse "feeling like" God is not with you and reality. Salvation is in an instant, but turning the old worldly mind around can take time(don`t we all wish it didn`t). All of us have been where you are. God loves you and now you have something else....He is your friend! Go to Him in prayer and dig into the Word prayerfully. Even if you are a bible expert, you are about to see things you never saw before in scripture you thought you understood. If possible, pick a time of day, a place of quiet, and devote that time to the Lord.....who is now the Lord of your life. Prayerfully ask for understanding and you shall have it, humbly ask Him to enter your heart and be Lord of all parts of your life and you shall have that also. Seek hard, and you will find.
The best book for your soul is God`s word, and that is where it would do well for you to spend time. Tozer`s "Knowledge of the Holy" is a great read to understand just who you have turned your life over to.
May God bless your efforts. He will, I have no doubt at all that you are about to start a wonderful jouney with the Lord.

Charlie

[Thinker]

Alabi, Never lose sight of this: God gives us time to grow. While we are growing, don't rely on your "feelings" as to how you are doing. Base your life on the facts that God gives in the Bible. Emotions can be wonderful, just don't let them "drive." Faithfulness to the Word of God, praying, reading, studying, applying and obeying will produce growth. This is the sanctifying work of a lifetime. You'll make progress, do some stumbling, get sidetracked, just get up and get back on track (I John 1:9) and keep going in God's direction. Discouragement is one of Satan's most effective strategies. Don't let him get away with it! Thinker (Ron)

"Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

[Alabi Lasbat]

Thank you very much guys.

I am so so encouraged! Not relying on my feelings is definitely something I need to work on. It is a walk of faith right? And the just must live by faith.

I would also cultivate the habit of waiting on Him irrespective of my feelings. Becos most times when I don't feel Him I just leave. But now I'll ensure I remain in the place of prayer and devotion even if I don't feel Him.

Its a gradual process and faithful is He that has began this work in me. He would complete it also.

Thank you so much again. Do keep me in your prayers.

God Bless!

[Charles Miles]

I applaud your insight into the faith aspect. We do run a danger of having faith in "faith", but that will lead to disappoitment after a while. One must have faith in God, who He is, and what He has promised us.
There is wisdom in what Thinker wrote to you and I urge you to look it over closely. Also., I urge you to find a good, Bible based church, and become part of it ASAP. Some churches have "small groups" that help one another and study the Word in a more intimate setting than a whole congregational meeting. Choose the church carefully and don`t be afraid to look around at churches not of your previous denomination. You are not looking to learn more about a particular denomination, you are looking to deepen your relationship with the Lord of the universe. It really is all about a personal relationship with the Lord......He already knows all about you, now it`s your turn to know Him on a more personal basis.

[David Love]

This is a wonderful discussion - I can't help but think of the joyful exhaustion I feel at the end of our weekly worship service - when you've sung each song for all your worth, and felt the Lord's approval on your offering of praise - when your small congregation is all crowded together with arms linked at the front of your sanctuary - praying for each other and encouraging each other, and when you're pastor has poured every ounce of his energy into preaching the message the God gave him - My problem isn't craving for that empowerment of the Holy Spirit, or craving for greater intimacy with God when I'm sitting it my cubicle at work writing reports - my problem is trying to ignore that craving long enough to serve my employer. I wonder when I'll get fired for being too heavenly minded! That all said, there has been many good responses - I have found the Lord to reward me when I seek Him with all my heart, heck, even when I seek Him with what seems like less than my full heart.

I hope you feel encouraged by the responses you've received - don't give up seeking after the Lord in His Word, and through prayer, and through worship and study with other followers of Christ.

In Christ,

Dave

[elizabethcog]

And I love to consider God's very words when the young man dressed ina white robe at the tomb of Jesus in Mark 16:7 told them "but go, tell his disciples and Peter....See even though Peter had denied Jesus #3 times Jesus wanted to be clear that Peter was still his ....just substitute your own imperfect name there because Jesus loves you and wants a relationship with you just like he did Peter.Beautiful how God's word speaks to us still today.Keep seeking God's face,in Christ with love,Elizabeth

[Alabi Lasbat]

Thank you all so much for your deep wisdom. I will take all of your words to heart.

I have a ? Though,please do indulge me, I am still a child.

How does one sustain seeking - for me its like my heart and head wants to know God, I want the desires of my heart to be to Him alone. But often times, I find myself distracted. Like I find it difficult to train my mind to be focused on Him. Even when I am praying, I get so easily distracted.

I am struggling and that is what bothers me, devotion and communion seems to b a huge struggle. Is that normal? Or is there something I must do?

[Lori Smith]

Alabi,

What stood out for me as I read your last question was your statement, "I am still a child." Jesus told His disciples that it required "child-like" faith to apprehend God (Mark 10:14-15). How then would a child approach God? He would seek God eagerly expecting a warm reception. In addition, a child would seek God in ways that he would find enjoyable. Perhaps you should do the same. For example, I LOVE to spend time with Jesus because He loves to spend time with me doing things I love. He talks to me, He laughs with me and He comforts me when I'm sad.

It took me a long time to be able to hear Him though. When I first got saved, I forced myself to read two chapters of Scripture every morning--one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. In addition, I went on daily walks and looked for evidences of God's personality in the things He created. For example, there is such detail and humor in nature. That told me that He is creative and fun. Every day I learned more about God simply by looking for Him. What was interesting, is that He often met me on those walks in wondrous ways. These were small unexpected miracles that I KNEW could only come from Him. Later I got Baptized with the Holy Spirit and I developed a spiritual ear--I became able to hear His voice.

I wonder then, what excites you? God designed you to love certain things, and He will meet you in those things if you will look for Him. I promise you this, if you don't give up you'll find out that God is not boring!! In fact He is more exciting than anything on earth! Plus He loves you so much. I'll be praying for you.

Blessings,
Lori

[Kevin Blankenship]

Alabi, you ask many of the same questions that I have yet to ask. Thank you for that. Just reading your questions and the responses this morning has done much to set my day, and my priorities, to seek God with as much of my heart as I can possibly give. God bless you Alabi, and you are in my prayers.

[Gordy]

I desperately need prayer in the area of lust. I do not wish to go into details but it is hurting my testamony.