peace . love . joy

pastor's sermon ytd was interesting..at least it was to me..tho it escapes me as to y he kept going on and on abt sex..?

u know, not all of us youths (man i feel so old!..last yr i'm gonna spend in my teens) think bout sex 24/7..but then again, i may b pt of a minority..hah

anyway..the sermon was on purity..

i took notes =D ..dunno y..jus decided to take notes that day..btw, might i be so bold as to suggest to those who arent used to waking up earli on sundays and whose eyelids seem jus so heavy to take notes during sermons..perhaps it doesnt wrk for sm, but i think it does decrease the chances of u nodding off to a certain extent..

anyways..

Purity

1 Thessalonians 4:3,7
(3) For this is the will of gOd, that you should be consecrated (set apart for pure and holy living) : that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice
(7) For gOd has not called us to impurity but to consecration (to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity).

is it possible for us -- youths, young adults, adults, children -- to live like that??..

we who live in a world where the line between right and wrong is fast fading..by whose (?) standard are we judging right frm wrong..is it possible, no, is there even a glimmer of a hope \ chance for us to live a life that is righteous and pure in gOd's eyes?? (assuming we want to)

pastor gave this analogy which i found amusing yet inspiring :
it is not encouragable for us, humans, to drink sea water and sea water alone..for if we do, chances are we'll fall sick cos now and again, the process of polluting the ocean gets pushed a little ahead of schedule by us (throwing stuff into the seas, oil dumping, cargo ship accidents...)
then we look at salt-water fishes..sea-dwelling creatures..they live in that polluted environment and yet, they thrive..they dont fall sick..
gOd has enabled them to remain pure in that polluted world!!

so the answer to the above question is : YES

gOd CAN keep us pure in this polluted world.

how do we achieve that?

secret lies not in imitation (we mirror wad we see : garbage in, garbage out) , nor does it lie in isolation (we protect ourselves and move to a plce where it is untouched by human hands : be a nun \ monk) .. secret is insulation (we learn to filter : be grounded in the bible and know wad gOd says well , always go back to the bible when ure unsure)

how does it happen?? wad steps can we take to become pure in gOd's eyes??

1. Make a commitment to gOd's standard
Psalms 119:9
(9) How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.

gOd's standard has always and will always be the same -- it never ever ever changes, not for anyone, not for anythg.
it takes alot of courage & character to take this first step
are u ready??

2. Manage your mind
Proverbs 4:23
(23) Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.
Proverbs 23:19
(19) Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way (of the Lord).

your thoughts translate into feelings, which are expressed through actions..wad you do will betray wad you think..therefore, guard your thoughts!
it isnt a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin when you succumb to temptation!!
be careful!!

2 Timothy 2:22
(22) 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 (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all (christians), who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

how do we break temptation?
simple : we dont resist it!! .. when we resist, we are merely fuelling our desires and are focussing on it cos we keep thinking bout it..
we replace and refocus!! .. think about smthg else..do smthg else..channel all your energies to another activity..take your mind off it..
it isnt that difficult at all..trust me, i've tried =]

3. Monitor your media intake
Proverbs 15:14
(14) a wise person is hungry for the truth, while the fool feeds on trash.

i am not saying that the media is all trash, no.
i do agree that the media can be a tool with which Christians can use to spread the gospel..but let's face it..say there are 2 channels onli -- MTV channel 20 \ HBO \ Star movies \ AXN & a christian channel that broadcasts scripture readings and bible studies..which do you think majority of the modern-day youths & young adults will choose to watch??

fact is that many will choose rather to watch a secular movie than to hear \read the word of gOd..problem with movies these days is that they tend to (more often than not) glamourise sin..

they show sin sensationalised \ glamourised \ glorious \ desirable, whichever adjective u prefer (but they dont show you the consequences of indulging in sin)..they get you to laugh at sin.."hey, my wife just found out that i was cheatin on her with a hot red-head i met at a diner..and she said that she aint gonna be outdone by me : she's gone off to find herself sm hot blonde to spend the night with, hahaha!"

the media has the ability to get us to laugh at things that gOd says is not right..and when u start laughing at it, your resistance, your fight to try to stop sinning against gOd weakens..you begin to concede defeat w/o even realising you're losing the battle!! ..you stop fearing gOd..

Exodus 20:20
(20) Moses said to the people,"Do not be afraid. gOd has come to test you, so thtat the fear of gOd sill be with you to keep you from sinning."

Psalms 119:37
(37) Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through Your word.
Psalms 101:3a
(3a) i will set before my eyes no vile thing.

4. Minimise the opportunity for temptation (3 steps)
i) recognise wad tempts you (dont act tough like nthg can hurt you)
1 Corinthians 10:12
(12) if you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.

ii) choose your friends carefully
1 Corinthians 15:33
(33) dont be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."

iii) establish some protectv guidelines
Ephesians 5:3a
(3a) but among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity

5. Magnify the consequences of sin
Proverbs 6:32
(32) but the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul.

when we realise the terrible side of sin, the un-glamourous, un-spectacular, ugly side..we begin to fear sin..we begin to truly understand wad it means to fear the Lord..to fear His judgement..

why make this commitment? why go thru all that trouble??

because we love Jesus..we love gOd =D
John 14:21
(21) "whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."(, Jesus)

because we fear the judgement of gOd..Jesus dies on the cross because of gOd's judgement on us..he took all of gOd's judgement on himself for our sake..that is how terrible and scary gOd's judgement is..on a happy note, this cup of the Lord's judgement on us has been passed over us because of Jesus..He too it for us..we no longer have to suffer that way..

let's make the rest of our lives the best of our lives =D

pathway back to purity

a) repent
b) receive forgiveness
c) refocus + replace
d) request help daily

1 Corinthians 10:13
(13) But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. and gOd is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you cant stand up against it. when you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.

gOd bLEsS

me