Daily Reflections on Job 31:1-12 (A Covenant with Your Eyes)

A couple is sitting at an outdoor cafe. An attractive young lady walks by, but he never glances her way and never loses eye contact with his wife. The announcer states, "Give that man a Klondike Bar." In another scene a different couple is sitting at an outdoor cafe. As an attractive young lady, the man zeros in on her. As she passes, he takes out his new shiny surface cell phone and watches her reflection. He receives a text message from the girl he is sitting at the cafe with that says, "U r a pig!"

One of the toughest temptations a man faces from the time he reaches puberty is his visual attraction to the opposite sex. It doesn't take much for most men to be visually stimulated. The stimulation is a natural response that God wired into men. Yet, the visual stimulation by itself isn't the problem. It's what one does with about the stimulation.

Prostitution has often been called the world's oldest profession. Seductive dress or attire has always seemed to be a part of that trade. Although I'm sure prostitution is still very active worldwide, the pornography industry has no doubt surpassed it in participation. The internet has made viewing pornography easy for anyone to access while still maintaining a sense of privacy. In fact it's hard to avoid it on the internet. Various spam and personal filters have help, but doesn't make you immune.

My guess is that many men, who claim to be followers of Christ, struggle with the temptation to view porn. My guess is that there are many Christian men who actually have an addiction to porn. They may never visit a prostitute or have an affair with a coworker or neighbor. But they regularly are drawn to porn sites.

I think we men would do well to do as Job did, make a covenant with our eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. Job said he wouldn't let his heart be led with his eyes and that he wouldn't let his hands be defiled. He said he wouldn't allow another woman to entice his heart or go lurking as his neighbor's door. Why? Because Job knew the consequences for his own relationship with his wife. He knew that it would lead to disaster and destruction. He confessed that someone else would no doubt end up eating his food and sleeping in his bed.

Even though we might think that viewing porn doesn't hurt anyone and no one is else is watching us, we're wrong. First of all, God is watching and we will hold us accountable. Second, it does impact our relationship with our wife whether she finds out or not. Third, continued viewing will destroy you. Job says it is a fire that burns to destruction.

Guys, we need a covenant with our eyes. If you're married, you already made a covenant with your wife. If you're not married, you have an obligation to your future wife. Besides, if you get hooked on porn before you meet that future wife, it will affect your future relation.

God, just like every other guy I struggle with visual stimulation. Remind me of my covenant to my wife. Help me to keep my covenant with my eyes.

Daily Reflections on Mt. 24:3-25 (Is the End in Sight?)

From my teens I've always wondered what the end of the world as we know would be like. I was intrigued by Hal Lindsey's book, "The Late Great Planet Earth." We talked about the end times in our Sunday School class. I didn't so much like reading the book, but the movie was really interesting. I went with some friends to see it at a drive-in theater.

I'm not so sure I agree with Hal Lindsey about what the end times will be like, but at least it caused me to think about it. I've never been cracked about experiencing death personally. I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm afraid of getting dead. So I've always wanted to hang around to see the end times, no matter how turbulent they may be. I just figured I'd rather go on to heaven like Elijah, riding a flaming chariot, than the normal way, dying. The Bible does say that the dead in Christ will ride first and then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up with Him in air. I just decided that I didn't have to be first. I'd just as soon do the caught up thing in the air. That would be sooooo cool. Look Mom, I'm flying.

I honestly don't know how close we are to the last days, when the trumpet sounds and that's all she wrote. I do know that we are closer today than yesterday. As I look around it seems that there certainly are a lot of earthquakes and famines in various parts of the world. It seems nations are rising against nations. Many nations in Africa fit the description in today's passage.

I've also noted one thing that is of great concern to me. Jesus stated that as the end draws near many will turn away from the faith. He said to expect false prophets and false teachers. He said to expect an increased of love for wickedness and/or wicked things. He said that people's love for truth and righteousness will grow cold. I don't if anyone else has noticed, but it sure seems like that's happening. I read a stat not too long ago that stated that porn shops out number McDonald's three to one in the US. It also went to state that the porn industry is the number one industry on the internet.

In the middle of His discourse Jesus makes one incredible promise, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved." Wow! That's a victory statement. Standing firm on God's truth, standing firm on the hope of Jesus, sounds like the right and spiritual thing to do. But Jesus also warns that many will cave under the pressure and abandon their faith. Before you quickly announce, "Not Me!", I remind you of a guy in the upper room by the name of Peter. That "never deny you, Lord" statement became 3 denials within 24 hours.

Standing firm isn't easy. We cave in small ways all the time. We embrace much of the world's ways on a daily basis. We accept immorality in it's various forms as if it's nothing to be concerned about. People go without food. Woman and children abused. Widows sit alone behind drawn curtains. Sexual promiscuity doesn't even get a raised eyebrow. In fact, it's a major theme in most of our favorite TV shows.

As we lower our standards, our love and passion for God and His righteousness slowly dissipates. Our heart, our love is growing cooler. The hope, the light within us is fading. The saddest thing is that we don't even know it.

Jesus says run to the hills when you see it coming. He's not suggest we all wall ourselves off in a monastery. He's say to run from the world's ways. Perhaps that's why even though Jesus was divine, He still headed for the mountains to be alone with God on a regular basis. He needed to renew Himself with the Father. He needed to get away from the corruption for a while and find Himself enriched and enraptured by the holiness of God.

Father, I'm sick. The world is corrupting me. It's hard to live in the world and not to be a part of the world. My soul is bombarded daily with the germs of ungodliness. Refresh my spirit as I draw close to you. Purge the worldly elements from my being. Detox my soul. I want to stand firm in Christ, so empower me with your spirit.

Daily Reflections on Rev. 2:18-25 (Sexual Revolution or Sexual Malaise)

They called it the Sexual Revolution in the late 60's and early 70's. "Make love, not war," was a common phrase. Communes developed around the country. "It's time to be from your sexual inhibitions." Today the sexual revolution has turned into the sexual malaise. We are bombarded daily by sexual overtones and innuendos wherever we go.

We hear that sex sells. My question, what does sex have to do with car insurance? I've heard of some strange fetishes, but car insurance? Ads, TV, movies, magazines promote their product with sex. It's hard to find a TV show that doesn't incorporate sex as a major component.

Casual sex, free sex, friends with benefits have become a normal part of today's culture. Pornography has taken over the internet. Even with my spam filters set on high, my email inbox fills up with offers for Viagra or Cialis on a daily basis. It's almost impossible to get away fro the sexual onslaught. CBS photoshopped promo shots of Katie Couric to make her look thinner and more shapely in her run up to taking the evening anchor desk. And would somebody please buy Brittany Spears some underwear.

The message is, "If you're not having sex, you're not normal." What saddens me is that we, as followers of Christ, have accepted that message and allowed this infectious preoccupation with sex to flow into the church as something normal. It's like we expect our teens and young adults to be sexually active. Abortions, STDs, pornography addictions, divorces, child sexual abuse cases are at an all time high in the US. Teachers having sex with students are weekly stories on the news. Birth control is being handed out in some schools to 11 year olds.

Where's the the church in this? The misuse of sex is destroying our society. The might Roman Empire was brought down in part by their sexual immorality and sexual addiction. The US is quickly headed in that direction without a voice that heralds the warning. Unfortunately, the church of America draws a striking resemblance to the church of Thyatira in Revelation, chapter 2. Our culture needs to hear teaching about healthy sex, healthy relationships and healthy marriages. The bed of suffering is quickly coming. The time for changing our thinking to God's way of thinking is now. Since God invented sex, He might have a thing or two to say that would be worth listening and adhering.

God, the sexual inundation of our culture affects me. I know I'm being desensitized. My barriers are lowered to what I allow myself to watch and accept. Help me to resist in this area of spiritual attack. Help me have the wisdom and courage to hold up your truths in this area of life. Protect me, my wife, my daughters, my church from this destructive assailant.

Daily Reflections on Mt. 6:19-24 (Pornification of America)

Driving down the road I was channel surfing the AM dial in my car. I hit on the Laura Engram Show. She was talking about the pornification of America. She caught my attention so I paused my scan. She talked about the mind numbing effects of soft porn ads, i.e. Paris Hilton car sudsing ad or the Hardee’s/Carls Jr. hamburger ads and others. She was talking about the decay of society and the debase morals which were becoming the norm in advertising and our culture. She was urging listeners to stand up and take back America as part of her Power to the People drive.

Jesus noted the power of our visual stimulation on the heart here in Mt. 6. He said that when the eye is good, so is the heart. When the eye is bad, a darkness consumes the heart. Pornography isn’t the only darkening catalyst. Greed, power, lust, envy, bitterness, anger, hatred, partying, pride, sex, materialism, selfishness are also things that can darken the heart. Over eating (the biblical word is “gluttony”) or lethargy (commonly known as “couch potato”) can also lead to a darkened heart.

What you focus on is what you ultimately become or what consumes you. Whatever gains your attention shapes your thoughts, your behavior, your life. When I used to take kids to church camp or on spiritual retreats, we forbade bringing radios, ipods, mp3’s, and even gameboys. Anything that could distract from focusing on God, we requested, even demanded, be left behind or at least in the suit case for the period time we were there. It was always amazing to me what God was able to do in young people’s lives when their eyes were focused on Jesus and His Word.

It was also amazingly weird when we hit the world again and stuff that came over the radio. Listening every day to as Engram says the pornification of America, our minds to become numb to it. We don’t notice what’s happening. It’s like the frog in a pot of water that doesn’t jump out as long you turn up the heat slowly. It eventually kills it. But when you’re away from the world’s stuff and focusing on listening to God for an extended period of time, it’s almost like culture shock to hear and watch and see the stuff coming over the airways, cable and fiber optic lines.

If the eye is good, the whole body is full of light. If the eye is bad, the whole body is full of darkness.

God, I’m choosing to focus on you. I’m keeping my eyes fixed on the finish line and the author and perfecter of my faith. I can’t go live in a monastery or hide in some cave, so I need you to light my path. Show me the light so that I can follow you and your path.