(05/30/2016) Sodom and Gomorrah Again?

Today, points are shared on the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, current advocacy of LGBT issues, and end time prophecy.  The issues of divine judgment are more likely to acknowledge divine substance manifest through Jesus Christ, the presence of sacred content shown within the deeds of the living, and the quality of each person’s sacred commitment, than dwell upon the details and mechanics of emotionally charged behavior expressing sexual preferences, or strivings for political freedom and social acceptance.  One of the many fighters at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shared) posted the following:

 

Are we living in the days of sodom and gamora?

due to the legalization of same-sex marriage? and due to our schools teaching our children that homosexuality is normal and acceptable? and all the movies and television shows trying to convince us that homosexuality is the proper way to live? the bible's book of deutoromney talks about how god destroyed the cities of sodom and gamora for practicing homosexuality. is god about to do the same once again to our decadent modern world? are these the end times?

 

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:  of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.   And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  (Galatians 5:  19-24, KJV)

 

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  The Cross Condemns Fornication (05/20/2016); Gender, Sex and Christian Beliefs? (05/18/2016); On Controlling Lust (01/05/2016); The Judgment Against Sodom? (04/10/2015); Lot and the Angels (05/04/2014); Expulsion from Eden (05/05/2014); Blasphemy Against the GODhead (05/06/2014)

 

“Anonymous”, born again Christians who have not yet “grown up again” often embrace commonly held ideas existing outside of the faith that seem biblical and religious, that are not part of the Gospel, and that may not be found written in the Bible.  Being still focused upon issues that are carnal, emotional, material, psychological and social, these believers even may cling to such errors as (1) “original sin” means sex; (2) “fornication” (i.e., defilement of ones spirit through sexual joining) means having sex before marriage, too often, or with too many partners (i.e., promiscuity); and (3) avoiding premarital sex is about maintaining purity and virginity, rather than becoming correctly mature to independently be accountable for ones own sexual behavior and its consequences (e.g., controlling the time and place; disease; family planning and pregnancy; “paying the cost to be the boss”).  The prophecies that describe the woeful state of mankind upon the earth just prior to the appearing (we also say, the Advent, the Rapture, the Second Coming) of Jesus go beyond sexual excess and deviant behavior.  The ongoing examination of mankind and the tribunal the wicked must face as final judgment both center upon the evidence of spirit substance from the makeup of GOD recorded in the Books of Life.  Neither Christ nor Satan will serve as “accuser”; the convicted will have been “betrayed” by accounts of their own deeds.  Consider again how these ideas are stated using language from the Bible:

(1.)  Ezekiel 16:  49-50, King James Version (KJV):  49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me:  therefore I took them away as I saw good.

(2.)   2nd Timothy 3:  1-5, KJV:  1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.

(3.)  1st Corinthians 6:  9-11, KJV:  9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  11 And such were some of you:  but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

There is far more that could be said, must be carefully examined, and spiritually understood.  (For example, (4.)  Romans 8:  5-9, KJV:  5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(01/05/2016) On Controlling Lust

A response to a teenager’s question on human sexuality is featured, today.  While the council shared is from a Christian to an Islamic believer, the substance provided pertains to life for all.  More often than not, the confusion in our lives is not coming from our Creator; yet, there is no “easy way out.”  Given their duty as life companions entrusted with each other’s secrets, parents ought not expose one another to the censure of their children; and so they may not always speak freely to their own children regarding the common challenges, errors, and shortcomings from their younger days.  Just as we are careful to select food and drink to nourish our bodies, we must be careful selecting ideas and relationships to nourish our feelings and thoughts.  Many Christian believers have paid dearly for life lessons, and to arrive at the same points of truth shared among Muslims by first attending “the school of hard knocks.”  Because they continued to be immature, were stubborn, and lacked correct knowledge, they repeated basic mistakes in their attitudes and their sexual behavior for many years before being recovered from error through the operations of GOD.  Where a mother uses drugs during pregnancy, her child may be born addicted.  Similarly, where either of the parents practice fornication, their child may be born spiritually defiled and unclean.  While we are young we must be encouraged to understand that—just as ability to recite passages from the holy writings come only through practice that may seem dull, monotonous, and tedious—self-discipline, self-mastery, and self-control also come only through deliberate and painstaking practice.  Consider the following Bible verses, and the discussion below: 

Proverbs 16:  32, King James Version (KJV):  32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. 

Proverbs 25:  28, KJV:  28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. 

Mark 10:  6-8, KJV:  6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.  7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;  8 And they twain shall be one flesh:  so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

Micah 6:  8, KJV:  8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The young writer at “Yahoo! Answers” posted the following:


Ramadan: How do I control my lust?

salam, I am a 16 year old brother…I find myself unable to lower my gaze….I stare at women, girls, and even boys in public with lust, masturbate all the time, even fantasizing about boys, and rape….I sometimes watch porn, and I just want to know, how do I control my lust? salam, Mustafa


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.  Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously:  yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.  And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.  (Malachi 2:  13-15, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  The Wife of Your Youth? (12/22/2015); All Sin Is Willful? (10/20/2015); The Mistakes In Youth? (08/24/2015); Sermons About Good Sex? (08/25/2014); About Good Sermons? (08/26/2014); Pornography from the Bible (11/26/2012); More Than Salvation (11/27/2012)


“Mustafa”, as salam alekum.  When it comes to sex, no one has all the final answers; and we all must depend on some specific guiding principles.  The council a Christian father must give his son regarding a boy developing into manhood includes a number of serious warnings that help to bring balance into his thinking on, and acting out sexual desires.  As carnal beings (we say, flesh and blood), young people increasingly experience sexual arousal as they are growing up.  This is partly because of mechanical operations of their body (e.g., activity by glands; muscular growth; changes in height and weight).  As we learn and grow, we all experience sexual appetite the same way we repeatedly have hunger and thirst.  Using logic, reason, and thought, does not make hunger and thirst go away.  Humans must discipline both their body and mind to respond to appetite in ways that are healthy.  We avoid eating, or drinking any and every thing around us, because they may be poisonous or things to bring about sickness and death.  Similarly, we must limit ourselves regarding sex, and because we will be held accountable for our communication, exchanges and interactions within intimate relationships.

Sexual contact occurs on multiple levels:  the physical the  emotional, the psychological, as well as the spiritual.  Thus, sex is held to be dangerous for those who are young and unprepared.  There are always unexpected outcomes of a sex act.  This makes it that sex should be understood as unpredictable and unreliable.  Even adults who maintain the same pattern of attitudes and behavior for many years can become confused and damaged through adultery, casual sex, and extra-marital sexual relations.  Sexual intercourse may be unexplainably painful; there may be disease; there may be unwanted pregnancies; and there may be dissatisfaction with oneself and ones partner.

For those seeking to become spiritually adult, and present themselves to GOD in purity, warnings must be shared against fornication.  Just as girls and guys who think that oral sex will not do as much harm as full intercourse are mistaken, young people are mistaken who think fornication means sex before marriage, or too much sex, with too many partners (promiscuity).  With every sexual contact (be it as simple as holding hands or a kiss on the cheek—oral sex) there is a joining of spirit content for the two sexual partners.  In marriage, the two “become one flesh,” and GOD is the other.  Even so, because her spirit now is within him, and his within her, they must respond to a second spirit inside themselves, and make multiple adjustments to have contentment and inner peace.  Where the male has had sex with 10 girlfriends before marriage, his wife will be joined to at least 11 spirits.  Where his wife had relations with 8 guys, she brings 9 spirits to the marriage.  Do the math:  where the 10 girlfriends knew 8 guys each (80), and the 8 boyfriends 11 girls each (88), the total of spirits begins to number over 200 because of additional contacts among the 8 and the 11.  In some ways, both partners may be strengthened, and made to feel more capable as adults.  However, the battle is for the mind.  Conflict among the spirits of unseen partners can result in the married couple experiencing fear, despair, depression, divorce, and uncertainty that suddenly seems to come from out of nowhere.  The inborn spirit may be weakened by the unseen influences and unclean spirits.  The opposition it must face for control over combinations of spirits (say 50 to 1 or 75 to 1) could become overwhelming.

The serious bonds, connections, and habits established through our animal nature and sexuality can not be immediately broken or removed using our finite human tools  (e.g., isolating ourselves; moping; weeping; moving to a new city; trying to make new friends; exercising self-will).  Christian believers turn to GOD for rebirth and new life that is possible through Jesus Christ.  Once born again, believers must “grow up again” to become disciplined and mature as spiritual persons joined to divinity.

Mustafa, there is far more to be learned, properly understood, and correctly put into action.  Make every positive effort you can.  Through our submission to GOD, men and women should expect to acquire sacred knowledge, and undergo continued change and growth.  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to the power in your spirit that connects you to GOD, your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC