“Ten Steps to Conquer Impure Thoughts” Part 3

III.       4th Step: “Give God’s Spirit His Most Effective Weapon.” 

        Our battle of impure thoughts is far more than a battle in the mind or a

            physical struggle. It is “Spiritual Warfare”.

            Read Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but

            against principalities, against powers, pagainst the rulers of the darkness

            of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

A.   Both the Spirit of God and the devil seek and needs a person’s mind, their wills and their emotions in which they can express themselves.

B.   God and the devil know that our own human nature can easily betray us.

C.   The world will offer us glamorous and temporal pleasures to entice us, but behind those enticements is Satan seeking to control us and put us into bondage.

D.   The Lord does not want us to conquer Satan for He did it at Calvary. Our Heavenly Father will use these temptations in the following matter.

1.    He will use this pressure of the daily battle to motivate us  to transform our thoughts to His way of thinking.

2.    This will be accomplished and achieved by using the Holy Spirit’s weapon of warfare and that is the Word of God.

Read Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

A.   It is not only important to resist the temptation when it comes at you, but to be always preparing between temptations by memorizing the scriptures. It says in His Word, “be instant in season, out of season;”;

2 Timothy 4:2. Here are some other scriptures that will be a help to you:

1 Corinthians 3:11-20   1 Corinthians 10:12-15     2 Corinthians 10:3-5

2 Nephi 4:30                  2 Nephi 9:42                    1 Nephi 22:19

Alma 14:11                    D&C 95:1                          James 1:1-8, & 13

D&C 42:68                     1 Thessalonians 4:1-9      D&C 1:38

Romans 6:1-14, & 16     D&C 20:32                        2 Nephi 4:27    

2 Nephi 2:29                   Alma 3:27                         Alma 34:34

Helaman 14:31               Romans 8:1-14                 Alma 13:12

D&C 84:33                      D&C 11:12                        Mosiah 3:19

Colossians 3:1-10 & 16   D&C 8:2                            Galatians 5:16 - 6:5

Ether 4:12                       Moses 3:19                       2 Nephi 32:3

Hebrews 12:1-17            2 Nephi 4:18                     Psalm 1:2-3

Psalm 19:14                   Psalm 119:9-11                 Mosiah 1:7

Alma 50:20                     Helaman 12:1                   D&C 19:13

B.   Peter said 1 Peter 1:13  “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,”

IV.      5th Step: “Remove the Hidden Provisions for Defeat”

A.   If we allow any provision (seductive allurements) in our thought life, than we should expect to fail. We have invited that lure in our thoughts, which in return snare us and caused us to fall into temptation and lead us to sin. It provides us tempting possibilities for our mind to stir up various emotions which will seductively overpower our will and we give into the temptation. Our emotions play important role in this area especially in regards in feeling self-pity, loneliness, anger and sense of discouragement. It is our human nature to react and succumb to these emotions.

B.   We need to ask the Holy Ghost and He will show us those things that will trap us and cause Satan to defeat us. Things that will trap us are such as pornography, books, magazines, sensual music, sensual lyrics, pictures, movies, certain friendships and being involve in certain activities.

C.   We need to take a bold step by removing these items from our lives and this in return will show ourselves and others that we are sincere to our commitment to free us these various bondages. By resisting the devil’s lures forces him to flee from us. It is by this action, we are demonstrating that we mean business. It shows that we are taking a stand for God and His ways.

D.    "When you are tempted to do wrong, do not stop one moment to argue, but tell Mr. Devil to walk out of your barn"  (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 81).

Click on the following web site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYJw8xTb8ns&feature=related

Click on the following web link.

http://lds.org/media-library/video/standing-up?lang=eng&query=pornography#2001-08-04-standing-up-pornography

If you would like to know more about Jesus and your purpose in life, please contact the Mormon Missionaries:

In the Buffalo, NY area:

940-7143

997-4490

1-585- 403 – 0556

Rochester, NY area: Spanish & English

1-585-905-4620

In the Cattaraugus area:

716-740-0631

In the Wyoming County area in the state of Pennsyjvania:

570-240-2354

Elder Zayne Callahan

Elder Callahan's Mission is the whole wide world of the Internet. If you want to contact him and talk with him; you can reach him on Facebook and he also has a blog. Here are the web connections:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/elder.zayne.callahan

http://elderzaynecallahan.blogspot.com/2011/09/rachels-testimony-expected-logic.html

For a free DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” call 1-800-443-9911

“Ten Steps to Conquer Impure Thoughts” Part 2

III.       2^nd Step: “Replace the secret pictures in the gallery of our mind.”

A.   At the heart of most impure thoughts are the secret pictures stored in the back of your mind. We sometimes hold a special place for our first experience and encounters. We have a very special fond memory that we hold dear to our hearts over the years. It is during those time periods of temptations or fleshly promptings that we can easily revive those memories and force on the illicit affair in our past.

1.    Many times we are fighting these recollections on our own and all it does is frustrate the situation and cause us to have sense of failure.

2.    One way to fight this battle is superimpose pictures of God over these memories. Another words, when these images creep into our mind, we should place the image of Christ being bruised and tortured for our transgressions and iniquities. The word “iniquity” is often refers to moral impurity. We need to bring to remembrance that Jesus died on the cross, so that His blood would wash away our iniquity and setting us free from this bondage.

 Read Psalm 51:2 “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”  And in Mosiah 26:30, it says, “Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” In Romans 6:6 it says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” And in verse 14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Additional scriptures: 2: Nephi 2:26-27 and Mononi 10:32-33.

A.   We need to recall the series of stories of men and women in the scriptures that succumb to own personal lust. Such as the following people:

1.    Samson groping around after, he lost his eyesight by having them gorged out after his illicit affair with the harlot Deliah.

2.    King David grieving over his divided family and kingdom due to his affair with Bath-sheba.

3.    .King David’s son Amon raped his half-sister; in which his lustful thoughts turn into a deep hatred.           

A.   We should also recall series of people in the scriptures, who have won the battle. We can read about the in Hebrews chapter 11.This chapter in the Bible is sometimes refer to “Hall of Fame.” A good example for us is Joseph fleeing away from the advances of Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39. Another good examples are Nephi, Alma the younger and Mosiah’s sons: Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni.

 Joseph fleeing away from the advances of Potiphar’s wife.

Alma the younger visited by an angel.

A.   The next picture that one should bring in forefront in one’s mind is Jesus Christ. Picture His arms stretched out and Him embracing you with following saying underneath that picture saying, “I Forgive You!” Contemplate this one gospel truth and take it to heart; that when we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and that He remembers it no more.

A.   There was a little girl who told her parish priest that God spoke to her. To humor the child the priest asked her that the next time she talks to God, to ask Him what sins the Bishop committed. A few days went by and the priest saw the little girl and he asked her about speaking to God. The priest asked what did God say about the Bishop’s sins and she boldly told him that God said “I forgot them and I don’t remember them either.

Read Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

 And read Alma 13:12 “Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.”

And in verse 28 it says, “But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;” 

B.   We need to picture Jesus with His loving arms embracing you and forgiving you all your past sins.  

Click on the following web link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHE7P8OwRCc&feature=fvsr

 3rd Step “Make a Covenant with your eyes.” 

A.   One of the righteous men who ever lived was Job. One of the main key to his righteous living was that he made a covenant with his eyes. Read Job 31:1 “I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”

A.   The crucial key to controlling one’s thoughts is by controlling one’s roving eyes. How does one make this covenant with their eyes?

B.   One should purpose in one’s heart to look at the countenance of the person.

1.    What does the countenance of an individual show us? It revels what is in heart of that person. It will give us the insight and the direction on how one should pray for that person.

2.    The eye of the individual reflects what is inside the person’s heart.

Matthew 6:22-23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Proverbs 4:23 & 25 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life…. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.”

3 Nephi 13:22 “The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

Mormon 8:15 “For none can have power to bring it to light save it be given him of God; for God wills that it shall be done with an eye single to his glory, or the welfare of the ancient and long dispersed covenant people of the Lord”

D&C 4:5 “And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.”

D&C 59:1 “BEHOLD, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments”

3.    One should keep one’s eyes under the Lord’s control. One needs to train them to see what Lord wants us to see.

The Lord commanded Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to choose the future king of Israel. Samuel was looking at outside and Lord showed him that He was looking what was inside the person’s heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

A.   When the Lord gazes upon us, He does not view us for what we were, but what we could become through Him.

Isaiah 43:1-2 “BUT now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

B.   If one could see God’s thoughts for the person that we are eyeing, we would be able to glimpse His desires for that individual. When one sees these desires, we would want to see them come into being for that person. We need to visualize this person receiving Christ into their heart and witness their transformation into becoming a new individual through Christ’s love.

1.    This would incite us to pray for individual instead of lusting after them.

2.    This in return will put us at ease when we talk with this person, because we built a godly restraint in our thought life.

3.    A good example is Jesus’ experience with the woman who was taken in adultery. Instead of seen her as adulteress; He saw what she would become through grace of God. John 8:1-11

A.   When one envision this person as having been made by God, loved by God and that Christ died for them will force us to see them in a spiritual sense and as a child of Our Heavenly Father.  It will force us to realize that whatever we do this person; we are doing this to Christ too. We need to remember them vessels of God.

 Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”   

Mosiah 2:17 “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                 D & C 42:38 “For inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me.”

If you would like to know more about Jesus and your purpose in life, please contact the Mormon Missionaries:

In the Buffalo, NY area:

940-7143

997-4490

1-585- 403 – 0556

Rochester, NY area: Spanish & English

1-585-905-4620

In the Cattaraugus area:

716-740-0631

In the Wyoming County area in the state of Pennsyjvania:

570-240-2354

Elder Zayne Callahan

Elder Callahan's Mission is the whole wide world of the Internet. If you want to contact him and talk with him; you can reach him on Facebook and he also has a blog. Here are the web connections:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/elder.zayne.callahan

http://elderzaynecallahan.blogspot.com/2011/09/rachels-testimony-expected-logic.html

For a free DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” call 1-800-443-9911

           

“Ten Steps to Conquer Impure Thoughts” Part 1

A few years ago, I was a Pentecostal minister and I did men’s Bible Study dealing with pornography and entertaining impure thoughts. The past few days, I felt impress by the Holy Spirit to redo this Bible Study and make it part of my blog. So for the next few weeks, I will be posting this study in my blog. It is my prayer that the following lesson will be a blessing and help to those are in bondage to pornography and in impure thoughts.

I.                   Introduction:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”  Proverbs 23:7

A.   Within in the Church there is epidemic of people who are addicted to pornography. Many are discouraged in this area because they are not able to conquer impure thoughts or desires. When these habits arise, usually people are unaware that they are fighting these thoughts that lead them into sin. All impure practices begin in the mind and the body response to them. Our brain is the largest sexual organ in our body; it is there where it all begins. It is also the playground for the to the devil to plague us with these thoughts and desires to contaminate our thought process.

B.   The only hope there is by having victory in our thought life. In following weeks we will discuss and explore this lesson; “Ten Steps to Conquer Impure Thoughts.” The only way we will win this battle and to become victorious is by what we are willing to put into it and letting Jesus be the Lord in all area so He can set us free.

I.                   Step 1: “When You begin a war expect to win.”

 First of all, we need to acknowledge the fact that we are going into a battle and at times, it will get tough, but remember Jesus is our general and through Him, we are going to win. Jesus has already won this battle for us at Calvary.



 

We as Christians have the attitude that we are going to lose this battle even before we begin the engagement of defeating this problem. That attitude is a defeatist’s view and it only gives Satan a foothold and that is all he needs to distort our plan of action in order win this battle victoriously. For this battle, it is going to take discipline in our mind and in our actions. It is known fact, you give Satan an inch, and he will run with it and take a mile or two. It says in James 1:13-14, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”    

A.    Satan knows that if we don’t flee or resist the temptation of impure thoughts, he has a foothold in this area. He knows that he has won the battle after a few clashes and that he has gain victory by keeping us in bondage to that sin. In Proverbs 23: 17-18, it says “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” And in James 1:6-8, it says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways

B.   If only we can take this thought and plant it deep in our mind and in our heart, that our Lord Jesus has defeated Satan at the cross. We are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ. Romans 8;37

C.     We need to resist temptation: When it comes to resistance, it involves a total commitment. We should have the attitude, we are going to stand our ground and be determine that we are going to win this battle, no matter what it will cost. Like old adage says, “No pain, no gain!” In James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” In Hebrews 12:1-4, “WHEREFORE seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising   the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

      And it also says in 2 Nephi 4:17-19,   “Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.  And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.”

1.    We should be like the prophet Daniel, who purposed in his heart, not to defile himself. Daniel 1:8

2.    We should be like prophet Nephi, who in his heart to be obedient to God.

     1 Nephi 3:7

 

A.    When we are determine in our hearts that we are going to win this battle; God will in return show us that every defeat into a revelation of the hidden causes of our fall and defeat. So when the issues arise again we can become aware of Satan’s ploy to cause to fall. The Lord gives us a promise, if we seek Him, that He will not forsake us. “And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them”.

                        Deuteronomy 4:28-31

B.   At first, we might lose a few confrontations, but that in itself should encourage and increase our determination to press forward to win the battle. We need to grind up the loins of our minds and know that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, in order to live a holy life.

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” 1 Peter 1:13-21

C.     It all boils down to our attitude. Remember we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. We are overcomers as it says in Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

A.   So let us take the attitude that we are going to win and be victorious because He has gone before us and He has won this battle.

B.   When you get a chance, take some time out and read Psalm 51 as a prayer. Psalm 51 is sometimes called repentance psalm. As you do this, ask the Lord for His help to win this battle and you are going to win this battle.

If you would like to know more about Jesus and your purpose in life, please contact the Mormon Missionaries:

In the Buffalo, NY area:

940-7143

997-4490

1-585- 403 – 0556

Rochester, NY area: Spanish & English

1-585-905-4620

In the Cattaraugus area:

716-740-0631

For a free DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” call 1-800-443-9911