Tag: Bondage

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The Wrong Light

 MAY 7

MATTHEW 6:1_to be seen of them…

Take heed (pay attention) to one simple word: seen. Your righteousness can be seen just like your light. Your light draws and guides to truth and freedom.

There is another way to use light: to attract attention to you. This clarifies the not doing your righteousness before men.

If your purpose for righteousness is to receive praise—you missed the mark. Showing acts of mercy, charitable giving, giving more than receiving, should all be done to bring glory to God. Any honor belongs to the One who taught you to live in righteousness. 

The purpose of being light is not to shine on you, but on Jesus, the Light of the World! 

You can’t save anyone—even yourself. You can’t bring anyone out of darkness. The light that shines from acts of righteousness reflects Jesus’ light. He saves. He brings out of darkness. He possesses the power to transform lives, break bondages, heal broken hearts, and when in His will, to heal diseased bodies. 

If your light doesn’t reflect Jesus’ light—it’s the wrong light. 

PRAYER

Loving Jesus, Please help me not to let my light shine on me, but on You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                      

Christ wants me to shine for Him—I will!

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The Great Healer

APRIL 18

MATTHEW 5:40_And if any man will sue thee at law, and take away thy coat…

If there will ever be any kind of goodwill toward man in this life, it will come from Jesus’ crazy teachings about not fighting back. The reason? God’s power is released into your life when you have faith. Faith in the strength of God’s love to fight your enemies for you. Jesus taught not to seek revenge, and not to slap back.

Check this one out:  

Someone sues you. You are in the right. You tried, but were not able to settle out of court. The case goes against you—strongly against you. In other words, you lost all your savings! Now you have big money problems.

This is not easy to take, even if you were in the wrong. If you were in the right, it is heart wrenching. This can result in something worse than your money problems—the bondage of bitterness. 

Bitterness, unforgiveness, and grudge-holding, bind. Bitterness bondage chokes your spirit, contaminates your salt, and puts out your light.   

The money problems place a painful curb on your life. The bitterness places a curb on your heart, and its ability to love.  

Jesus becomes The Great Healer. He offers a radical cure.

PRAYER

Great Healer, I need Your help so I am not bitter when I am treated wrongly. I need Your wisdom to know how to respond. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

Christ’s love holds no grudges—He will teach me!

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The Empty-Hearted

 APRIL 2

MATTHEW 5:30_for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Proverbs is a book of wisdom. It has a great deal to say about sexual sins. Jesus knew every word of Scripture. He understood sexual bondage.

Jesus understood sexual bondage truly is hell on earth. Proverbs 5:5 (KJV), “Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.”

He understood Proverbs 6:26 (KJV) “For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread…”—this bondage can take you from wealth to poverty.

Jesus understood Proverbs 7:22-23 (KJV), “Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool, until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life” (read verses 7-27 to get the full warning).

This bondage is not for disciples who pay attention to the Bible’s wisdom. It is not for those who apply Bible truths to their lifestyle. 

Sexual bondage captures the empty-hearted who believe they are immune to the consequences of their decisions. Jesus understood that once passion is aroused to the point of no return, the course of destruction begins and grows until its victim is consumed.

Only someone who loves you would give such graphics.

To stick in your brain.

To cause your heart to throw a red flag and cry Foul!

  PRAYER

Lord Jesus, Please save me from bondage—I want to live free! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ wants me to know wisdom—He will teach me!

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Give the Creator Credit

APRIL 1

MATTHEW 5:30_And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee…

More graphics.

The inevitable process is if the looking is not controlled, the act is very likely to follow. Jesus says before you get physically involved in sexual sin, it’s better to cut off your hand. Again, don’t go cutting off your hand!! Please stay with these devotions.

Let’s go back to Proverbs 6 concerning adultery, verses 24-29 (KJV), “To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26For by means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?  28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?  29 So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.”

The Bible says whoever touches her shall not be innocent—looking leads to touching, and touching leads to disaster! If you play with fire, you will get burned. If you feel the Bible is too binding and you are free to make your own decisions, please give the Creator of sexuality credit for knowing how it works.

You do have a free will to make your own decisions.

Your free will always bears the consequences.

As in every case, Jesus is trying to save you from misery and bondage.

You do not want to live a life of regret. 

 PRAYER

Almighty God, Thank You for warning me of disaster ahead. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ warns His disciples of disaster—I should listen!

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The Great Transformer

MARCH 31

MATTHEW 5:29_for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Jesus’ use of graphics continues. The graphics are not only good for attention, but emphasize the importance of what Jesus teaches. Which is better, to live life with one eye, or live eternity in hell? The answer is a no-brainer. Good point, Jesus!

It is not the looking at porn which sends you to hell. However, the power of porn bondage can cause you to reject Jesus. It has power to convince you to forfeit Jesus’ free gift of eternal life, for the world’s temporary pleasures.

A life of bondage is life in a black hole of powerlessness. A life of freedom is to dwell in the light and love of Jesus.

Any time you turn to porn for pleasure, you turn away from Jesus to the devil. The devil wants you on his team for one reason—to destroy you. Jesus wants you on His team for many reasons, the first is eternal life. 

Jesus has your attention. He has shown you to play on the devil’s team can be extremely dangerous.

Never pluck out your eye! It is not necessary. It wouldn’t deliver you from bondage anyway.

Along with being The Great Balancer, Jesus is also The Great Transformer!

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, Thank You I never need to destroy my life or limbs in any way in order to become free from bondage. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is the Transformer—He wants to transform me!