DAY 795 - Conquering Lust(請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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                               Today's Reading: Revelation 2:18-29

** If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from my Devotion on Fire blog:

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Please click this link to read Revelation 2:18-29

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+2&version=ESV

Chinese: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=启 示 录 2&version=CUV

Bible Study

     Let's have a revision of the first three letters of John in Revelation. The first one to the church in Ephesus about conquering the evil forces, second letter to the church in Smyrna about conquering death, the third letter to the church in Pergamum about conquering secularism, today is the fourth one to the church in Thyatira about conquering lust. 

Let's take a look at what Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright ) :

     The Jezebel, the wife of king Ahab, was a foreign woman who introduced the worship of Baal, a rival god, into Israel.  That was at the heart of many other evils, summarized in 2 Kings 9.22 as 'whoredoms and sorceries'.
     'Whoredoms' in that passage, like 'fornication' here, was a metaphor for the spiritual 'playing around' of communing with other gods…
     Once one admits that it is all right to attend events in pagan temples or near equivalents, then all the ancillary practices, which regularly included licentious sexual behaviour, would come with the territory.  Almost literally: if you wanted to find a prostitute the precincts of a pagan temple would be the natural place to look. 

N.T. Wright. Revelation for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.26.

      Do you think we have similar problem in the life of Christians making a mess to the church? What are those problems?  

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

Spiritual Journal

    The title I heard from Jesus today is: Conquering lust

    What I got from Jesus today is another very sensitive issue. Just as yesterday's message about we as Christians are so easy  to be influenced by our present culture and living a life of secularism, we are also easily to be influenced by all kinds of contact points to poison us with lust and sexual desires.

    Thousands of years ago when those Israelites worshipped Baal they were being offered temple prostitute as an entertainment for their loyalty. Today when Christians worship computer many hours a day or movies they are being offered pornography as an entertainment to satisfy their sexual desire but in fact destroying their marriage, their character and most of all the command of God to be holy. This is just one of many terrible examples of how Satan pulls Christians into that deep mud of lust and sexual desire.

    How can we courageous admit this serious problem, repent and get back to Jesus 'narrow road' of life and not that 'wide road' to destruction? There isn't any middle road! 

    Just a minute ago, Jesus reminds me to give you the message from 1 Peter 1:13 - 16 as a warning, teaching and encouragement:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

    Conquering lust so that we can be holy is the message today. 

Dear Lord Jesus,
Change our hearts that we won't be pulled into a lifestyle full of lust. You are our king, you are the conqueror, help us to conquer lust.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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You may choose to follow my other daily blog: 

Daily Devotion on Fire 2(2 years plan -One year New Testament, one year Old Testament): 

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Daily Devotion on Fire (3 years and 3 months plan, one chapter a day to finish reading the whole Bible): 

http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/

Break.Build (40 days daily devotion- For Renewal or First Step for new Christians): http://www.breakbuild.blogspot.ca/

Emmanuel330 (40 weeks First Step Bible Study): 

http://emmanuel330.blogspot.ca/

This blog:
Discipler 123 (Daily devotion using N.T. Wright's NT for Everyone as source)

http://discipler123.blogspot.ca/


Rev. Nicky Gumbel's daily devotion: Bible in One Year
http://www.htb.org.uk/bioy