Reward
Gen.29:25 “Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!” [MSG, with emphasis]
We teach our people [intending and already married couples], that when in marriage, the package [everything you see] is your portion. We teach our people acceptance. You accept the totality of the other person. Just accept it because in the morning it will always be Leah. You have to accept your lot in life because that is how it is. Three times in the Book of Ecclesiastes [3:22, 5:18 & 19], the Bible admonishes us to accept our lot in life.
Behold…
Genesis 29: 25 “But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
If you put the weight of your deepest desire on any human being, you are going to crush them. I do not care how big your husband’s biceps are or how talented your wife is, if you put the weight of your deepest desire on him or her, you are going to crush them. The reason this will happen is because they cannot carry the weight and you will be left disappointed. The times that I have been unhappy are the times I expected a human being to fill my tank. Subconsciously, I shifted my gaze from looking to God to fill my tank, to Read the rest of this entry
Stolen Bread
Prov.20:17 “Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth” [with emphasis]
There are certain things that you would naturally be drawn to but are not good for you. There are certain kinds of food that you really enjoy but are actually not good for you. In fact, some can actually kill you. Sugar for instance, no matter how much of a sweet tooth you have, the fact is that sugar can kill you. So the fact that it tastes good to you does not mean that it is good for you. The fact that sex is enjoyable does not mean it is good for you outside of God. Some people will argue that why did God make it so good. Again I say, the Read the rest of this entry
Enjoy It
John 10: 10 “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” [AMP].
When we pray for God’s blessings I see people struggle with such prayers. And the reason they struggle is because they do not understand that God really wants them to be blessed. I have come to announce to you today that God really wants you to enjoy your life. Let me explain with the example of eating since it is a related craving for physical pleasure. God did not have to give man taste buds if the sole purpose of food was for nourishment. In reality, you can be nourished without tasting the food. There are people that Read the rest of this entry
The Gift
Gen.1: 28 “Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish on the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
The second thing we must know about sex is that sex is a gift from God. With God sex is beautiful, sex is good, and sex is sweet. What do you think would have happened if Adam had slept with Eve before they ate the fruit? God instructed them to be fruitful, get busy and multiply. But Adam did not obey that instruction. What if Adam had twelve children before he ate the fruit, God would have just killed Adam and Eve and today, we would have been be good. But instead of getting busy, Adam was just hanging around with Eve Read the rest of this entry
“It”
Sng.2:7 “Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right”
If you can control your appetite for food, you can control all other appetites including sex. But we must always accept that sex is what it is. Some people like it and some do not for two main reasons. Firstly, some people do not like sex because of their past experiences. If you grew up with badly prepared beans [water on one side, oil floating on the water and the beans at the bottom of the pot], you probably would not like beans. But the day you encounter well prepared beans, what do you think will happen? The second reason Read the rest of this entry
Self Control
Heb.13:5 “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
One of humanities biggest craving is for love and acceptance. It is a craving that God has given us. Sadly, we look in the wrong places for fulfillment. A lot of people are confused and lack direction because they have experienced rejection from their object of adoration and affection. When the object of affection becomes the object of rejection, people struggle deeply with direction. That is why some people go from one sex partner to another trying to fill a void that only Jesus can fill.
Arise!
1Jn. 2:16 “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world”
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness can be broken into the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. The devil said to Jesus, “if you are the Son of God command the stones to turn to bread”. This is the craving for physical pleasure and with Jesus it was the craving for food. Over the next few days, we are going to be focusing on the craving for physical pleasure with particular emphasis on sex. I encourage parents to discuss with teenage children who may be using the adult devotional each day. It is important they learn Read the rest of this entry
Ownership
Matt.6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (mammon) [with emphasis].
Jeff had to work late again because the boss did not send in the weekly report on time and everyone got a copy by morning. So that night alone in the office, he put the copier to work. Strangely, a single sheet printed with a big black circle in the middle was the only thing that printed. While probing, Jeff discovered that it was something mysterious. When placed over any door, Jeff’s hand could go through the black circle as though the doors did not exist.
Choose Who
Matt.6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (mammon) [with emphasis].
The third thing Jesus said about money is that, how you relate with money shows the God that you serve. The word mammon from today’s Scripture reference means the spirit of material possessions. The story is told of a family consisting of the couple and their two children. They had a couch; this couch was the symbol of the family’s bond. When the man lies on the couch, his wife joins him and the children join in, jumping all over the parents and the couch. When the man comes back home from work and Read the rest of this entry
