Monday, 29 January 2018
This One Area Can Make or Break You in the Spiritual Realm
I have counseled with many men over the years who have doubled or more than doubled their income shortly after cleaning up the area of sexuality in their lives.
Sex can make or break your spiritual realm and other areas of authority that God has given to you. Both contemporary and biblical examples demonstrate the connection between sexuality and authority.
Let's briefly look at the positive examples of those who held fast sexually and did not compromise the call of God in their spiritual life or in other areas of influence. Joseph didn't compromise himself and became the second most powerful man in the world! Moses stayed sexually faithful to his wife even when leading a nation. Daniel had no sexual sin in his life and neither did Joshua. How about Deborah the judge or Mary, the mother of Jesus? Thank God, Mary didn't compromise her sexuality! Also interesting to note, that when Jesus choose 12 men upon whom he was going to give authority to, not one of them had sexual sin issues.
When I think of contemporary examples of ministries that have flourished without the blemish of sexual sin, I think first of Billy Graham. I am so glad Billy Graham maintained his sexual integrity during his ministry. I think of Oral Roberts and the international impact that his sexually pure life has had.
It is sad to say that not everyone in the Bible times or in present day life is sexually pure. Men throughout history have lost spiritual power and authority due to their sexuality. Some of these people were even God's favorites, but consequences still ensued because of their sexuality.
King Solomon was the wisest man in the Bible and was hugely influential. He created aqueducts and engineered huge projects like the temple. God loved Solomon and even appeared to him twice personally, which is more than he did for Solomon's father, David. But Solomon multiplied wives to himself, which is strongly admonished against. Solomon loved these other women and actually used his wealth to create temples for their gods.
Imagine using the wealth God gives you for idol worship. This makes me think of the millions of Christian men who spend their money on pornography, which is enriching the pornography temples of today. The Lord became angered at Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-11.)
Solomon's sexual relationships with these foreign women changed his theology along with his relationship with God and His authority. Sexual sin causes men to question, "Did God really say that I am not allowed to lust (Ex. 20:17), or fornicate (But I love her.) or commit adultery, even if I'm not happy?" (Ex. 20:14)
Solomon lost more than a correct theology. God clearly stated that He was taking His kingdom away. "Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "Since you have done this and have not kept My covenant and statutes, which I commanded you, I will surely take the kingdom from you and give it to your servant" (1 Kings 11:11). Although it didn't happen in King Solomon's lifetime, right afterwards the kingdom was split. Solomon's sexual sin impacted the nation and the international landscape. This is a clear example of how authority where sexual sin is present leads to idolatry and then toward a loss of the authority.
Let's look in I Samuel 2:22 where one who was in spiritual authority in the Bible lost that authority directly because of sexual immorality. Here we see the sons of the high priest who would have inherited the spiritual authority to be spiritual leaders, but look what happened because of their sex lives: "Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, even that they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting" (1 Sam. 2:22).
God not only removed their authority, but he also killed them for having sex with women at church. Did they think that God was supposed to be OK with this?
God does not approve of our current Jezebel doctrine of sexual immorality. God is still the same yesterday, today and forever.
Let us look at the Scriptures as to how God really feels about this duplicity doctrine of immorality. In Revelation 2:20-26, God is angry at the church because they "tolerate" a woman called Jezebel who was teaching that it was okay to be sexually immoral. God states not only will He make her suffer but also that he will kill her children. God really hates sexual duplicity. I think that is an understatement to say the least.
But why does God hate duplicity, where some believe that immorality is OK with Jesus' doctrine? As you look at verse 26 in the second chapter of Revelation, I think it is made clear. "To him who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, I will give authority over the nations—."
To those who overcome sexual impurity, God wants to give authority. God wants the kings and priests of this day to have authority. He can only give it to men or women who are sexually pure. In this day and age, God wants to change the world, to release salvation, healing and power to every nation on earth. He desires another set of disciples without sexual sin to impart His world-changing authority to.
He needs us to be sexually pure and to offer up our sexuality as part of our living sacrifice to Him (Rom. 12:1.) He is worthy of our sexuality. In exchange if we overcome, authority will be released.
Many of you know my story. I have been free from sex and pornography addiction now for more than 30 years. God is sending me not just around the nation but to other nations to help them heal, too. God wants all of us to inherit the nations for His glory.
I pray that you are stirred to help men who struggle so they can inherit their land that God wants them to possess. I believe if the church can get honest about this problem and heal one man at a time, God will give us the authority to impact our culture for the revival that God desires for all nations.
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