Emmanuel330: WEEK 13 - New Commitment: Control Your Lusts (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

Today's Reading: Matthew 5:27-32

**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.

Please click this link to Matthew 5:27-32

English(NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 5&version=NIV
Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 5&version=CUV

Bible Study

This passage talks about our new lifestyle when we receive Jesus as our Lord and King. We have another lifestyle of not doing something rather than doing something after yesterday's message of not having anger and not having enemy. The topic that Jesus is dealing with is divorce, but Jesus talks about how to control our lusts as the way of not having divorce.

We have quite a number of significance passages in the Bible teaching us not to divorce(Malachi 2.14-16, Mark 10.2-12, Luke 16.18, Matthew 19:3-9 and 1 Corinthians 7.10-16). Yes, the rate of divorce is higher and higher nowadays. Why? Jesus says it's because of two reasons. One is because of we can't control our lusts and the other is we have no integrity and do not keep our marriage oath. We'll talk about the second reason tomorrow.

Bishop N.T. Wright says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._T._Wright):

Divorce normally happens when lust and lies have been allowed to grow up like weeds and choke the fragile and beautiful plant of marriage...

Sexual desire, though itself good and God-given, is like the fire of Gehenna(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna), which needs firmly keeping in place. Saying 'no' to desire when it strikes inappropriately - in other words, outside the context of marriage - is part of the most basic Christian discipline.

N.T. Wright. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p.47-49.

Do you believe if we can control our lusts then there would be less divorce? Are you able to control your lusts?

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture 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 topic I received from Jesus today is :

New Commitment: Control your lusts

What I received from Jesus today is a self-examination of our present lifestyle. Jesus reminds me of two situations.

The first one is that the past five years due to my Doctoral thesis: Micro Discipleship, I did a wide spectrum research on daily devotion. The result is that it is really less than 10% of Christians who have daily devotion. The shocking phenomenon is that most people including pastors do not think that's a problem. Most of them told me it is a fact, not a big deal!

The second one is that when I ask pastors and Christians about the percentage of Christians watching pornography and the answer is almost the same as the first one but reverse. Some pastors told me they read the result of some research that 60 -80 percent of Christians is watching pornography and it is a fact and not a big deal.

So, brothers and sisters, Jesus is asking you now. If you are those 60 - 80% of Christians watching pornography you have to stop today. Repent and be willing to listen to Jesus command to control your lust. Let me tell you, you do not have the power to control your lusts. Your need to ask Jesus to help you. Actually this Break.Build blog is to help all people to break their addiction including pornography. Why not have a "short win" to stop for 40 days. Then you have a better chance to pull that sin out permanently with the help of Jesus.

You may have other addiction that you need to stop. Today is a good time for you to stop 40 days in order to break that and to build a lifestyle of Christlikeness. Are you willing to enter into this new journey to be with Jesus and to be more like Him?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to control our lusts so that we can be more like you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Questions for group discussion

Topic: New Commitment: Control Your Lust

新委身: 控制情慾

Passage: Matthew 5: 27-32

Questions for group leaders

1. Read Matthew 5: 27-32 again now. Do you know any relative or friend who are divorced? Do you know the reason why they are divorced?

2. Do you agree with what Jesus says that control our lust can help more people from getting divorce? Why you agree or disagree?

3. What do you think is the best and most effective way to control your lust?

4. What is the highlight for you today?

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Emmanuel330

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

WEEK 13 - New Commitment: Control Your Lusts (請按此處收聼廣東話Cantonese podcast click here)

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