When Lustful Thoughts Encapsulate Your Mind: how do you escape?

Encapsulate: Surround completely. To enclose, capture, compress, encase, condense, cover, or wrap. As a teenager I found myself exposed to very graphic material. My mind and eyes had never been exposed to these images (pornographic) . I never realized how powerful the images were until I tried to keep them out of my mind. It seemed as though it was easier for me to think about the images than it was to ignore/forget about them. It seemed easier to be comfortable with the images than to disregard the images. These images were changing my perspective toward women and also my image of the role of a man. I never told anyone about the habits that I was forming from viewing these images but I began to play out these images in my lifestyle. I found myself seeking to fulfill the images of pleasure that engulfed my mind. I minimized(devalued) relationships because of these images which tainted my mind. In April of 2003 when I gave my life to God I still had struggles and I had to come to the realization that I can not escape this bondage under my own power, and that I needed a greater force to deliver me. I had to make a decision to transform the atmosphere of my mind which made it easy for me to entertain these thoughts of inferiority (destruction) . When a prisoner is in bondage they need someone with a key to loose their chains/shackles. I realized that only God had the key that I needed. Only when I became uncomfortable with my tainted mindset is when I began to seek a way out. Are you uncomfortable in your thought life? I had been struggling under my own power for a while and just continued to fail. I just want to encourage you to seek God because his source of power never fails no matter what situation you find yourself encapsulated in.

Detaching Yourself, in order to gain a clearer perspective

Detach: To separate or unfasten; disconnect. To remove from association or union with something. Uninvolved, isolated, uncaring, loose, unaffectionate. If you had a habit that was killing you would you detach yourself from that habit? Sometimes our mind and our heart are detached and not on one accord. We can think one thing with our mind but our heart is focused on doing something else. Sometimes we must detach ourselves from certain relationships which bring certain atmospheres. How do you detach a heart that yearns for a connection? How do you detach an ear that yearns to hear a special voice? I have come to the realization that we must allow the presence of God to be what our heart yearns for. We must also allow the voice of God to be the voice that our ears desire to hear. It is hard to attach to God when you do not set aside time for him. Sometimes people may feel that detaching can do more harm than good, which is why we may choose to stay attached to something even though we are not at peace. If a doctor were to surgically remove someones toe or leg this would cause their mobility to be affected. There is a doctor though that can detach (separate) you from whatever is causing you to be out of God's will, without allowing you to be harmed in the process. God has a spiritual prescription which can offset the side affects of being detached. As a patient in the hospital lies on the bed waiting to be operated on; will you allow yourself to be positioned so that God can operate on your situation? If we could operate on ourselves then there would be no need for physicians; so allow this surgeon to detach (remove) the issue so that you can gain a clearer perspective on life.

Seeking to be married but struggling to live single

Single: Not divided; unbroken. Exclusive, separated, unblended, unshared, or unmixed. As I reflect back on the years when I was in high school and college I can clearly remember my intentions for seeking after women. It was because of their company. I wasn't content unless I was being entertained by a pleasant face and a pleasant smile that was also accompanied with a pleasant voice. I didn't necessarily need the physical interaction but just being in the presence seemed to be enough for me. Now that there has been a transformation in my life I can look back and compare those past experiences to my current relationship with God. I realize that in order to be effective in relationship you must first understand that you are not incomplete just because you are not in a relationship. Until you come to the realization that you are not incomplete just because you are not married, dating, courting, etc. then you are not mentally prepared to handle the dimensions that come with being married. One must first be content with being in relationship with God before seeking a mate. As long as there is a struggle in your relationship with God then this is a type and shadow (example) of things that are to come when you seek to join to someone who can never add up to the superior characteristics (qualities) of God. If I am struggling to be satisfied by a God that lacks nothing then how can I expect to be satisfied by a human that has weaknesses? If an infinite God can not fill the hollow areas in your life then how can a finite person fill those areas? There must be a mirror that allows us to see an example of what being married truly entails and this mirror is our relationship with God. Ask yourself "is your mirror blurry or clear?"

Lowering Your Standards to Line Up With Your Low Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem: a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. An enduring personality characteristic. a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect. We live in a world where the media defines beauty through subliminal (unconscious, hidden) messages. The media's standard of beauty is always changing whether it's skin complexion or body shape/size. How is your self-worth measured? If you were to loose all of your possessions than how would your self-worth be measured? would you be worthless? Some men would feel worthless if they went without a sexual encounter for a certain period of time, because their self-identity/self-esteem is linked to the number of sexual encounters that they have. They are bound by their sexual desires kind of like a slave/prisoner is bound by a chain. He/she has become so used to this chain (chain of lust) to the point where it feels normal(comfortable) to them to be bound instead of uncomfortable. This chain (lower standard) gives them a sense of self-esteem/security that is only temporary. How long will you continue to lower your standard(s) in order to appease an inferior self-esteem. There is a higher standard which is God's standard. When you begin to line up (align) with his standard your self-esteem will rise also. A self-esteem that is linked to chains of bondage (lust) will only lead to destruction. A slave/prisoner can only get so far with chains on his/her feet. I just want to encourage you to seek after the right standard so that you can rise to a level of superiority which superimposes all other inferior levels of bondage.

Addicted to what's killing you, but seeing no signs of hope

Addicted: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming. We live in an era where we have access to many more images and sounds than was accessible just a decade ago. Images enter into your soul through your eye gate and sound enters into your soul through your ear gate. How secure are your gates? If you have a clogged heart then a doctor can perform surgery to have it unclogged. If you have a tumor then a doctor can perform surgery to remove the tumor. How do you remove something that is destroying you psychologically (mentally) and emotionally through your heart and your mind? How do you begin to measure (access) the condition when it can not be seen with an x-ray? Can a doctor perform surgery on a heart that is suffering with depression? Can a doctor perform surgery on someone who has Aids but still continues to spread their illness because of their condition of lust? (how do you surgically remove lust?) There is a practitioner which has performed spiritual surgery on me on numerous occasions. God is the ultimate surgeon and is capable of removing any condition (i.e. addictions). Never seek a physical(visible) remedy to heal a spiritual (invisible) condition. X-rays pinpoint physical conditions but God knows the condition of our heart and our mind. Just as eating the wrong foods can clog our arteries, thinking the wrong thoughts can clog our minds, and negative emotions can clog our hearts. I just want to encourage you to seek the right physician so that you can be given the right remedy and begin to live life to its fullest.

When Lust Seeks To Replace True Love: the ultimate counterfeit

Counterfeit: To make fraudulent copies of something valuable. A fraudulent imitation or facsimile. something copied or derived from an original. Misrepresent, form, fudge, fake, manipulate, falsify, or forge. As I look at this topic I can not help but to think how many people are deceived on a daily, monthly, yearly, and lifetime basis as it relates to true love and its qualities. If all I am used to eating with is plastic spoons, then how do I become familiar with silver spoons? I must first be exposed to a silver spoon in order to become familiar with its quality. If I am given something that I have never used then I may misuse what I have been given. How many times has your love been misused by someone who was used to a counterfeit (inferior) love ? If you gave an animal a bank account would they know how to use it appropriately? If you allow lust to reside in your heart then you must ask yourself this question "does lust know how to handle (appreciate) my heart?" We must all ask ourselves what is the true source of love? When we come to the understanding that God is love then we can begin the process of discerning what true love really means. Lust is temporary but true love commits. Lust seeks to please itself (self-indulging) but true love is unselfish (able to sacrifice). When you understand the nature of lust then you can begin to set boundaries in your heart and mind so that you only allow those things which exhibit the characteristics of love into the atmosphere of your heart and mind. I just want to encourage you to analyze your true definition of love and compare it to the standard of God who is true love.

One Way Ticket to a Place of Misery: No Invitations Needed

Misery: Mental or emotional unhappiness or distress. Sadness, depression, desolation, gloom, wretchedness, melancholy, despair, grief, sorrow, indigence, agony, and misfortune. As I reflect back in my life I can remember when I turned 19yrs old. I found myself in a gentlemen's club. The required age to get in was supposed to be 21yrs of age, but the family member that I was with happened to know the person at the door and this allowed me access. There are some nightclubs that people can not even get into because they do not meet the dress code. If I wanted to fly to California but I did not have a plane ticket, this would disqualify me from flying to California. If I wanted to drive to another state but I did not have enough gas, this would prevent me from driving to that state. There are so many places that have rules and regulations that you must follow in order to have access. There is a place of misery though which allows anyone to enter. This place of misery does not discriminate based on race, gender, or income/economic status. This place is called Hell. If you just meet the requirements of "living in sin" which is ultimately 'missing the mark of God for your life' then you have an all access pass to this place of misery. No invitation is needed. All you have to do is meet the prerequisites here on Earth in order to make it in. There is another place though that requires you to live a lifestyle of righteousness in order to have access. This place does require an invitation. What actions are you taking in your life to receive this special invitation? I just want to encourage you today to seek Jesus (John14:6) so that you can receive an invitation into Heaven and not have to deal with an eternal destiny of misery.