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Dont shoot the messenger ok (http://www.jimlynch.com/images/bow.gif)

I just came across this link, it is excellent and so is this article...so just passing  it on...

How Easy is Sexual Sin?
Patrick M. Morley


During a typical week I personally learn through my work of three or four men who risk or throw away a lifetime of investment in a wife, family, and reputation for a few moments of sexual fantasy.

When we read about someone like Frank Gifford cheating on his wife it may or may not shock us. However, we have all been stunned by learning our minister or a close friend has committed sexual sin. When you hear such "close to home" news of sexual misconduct does it make you fearful that it could happen to you? Here are three things you need to know:

1. Your Sins Will Find You Out
I have devoted my life to mastering one book so that I can show men how it applies to their lives. I love teaching the word of God. Let me use my knowledge of that book to frighten you a bit. A little "holy" fear can be a good thing. If I have learned anything at all from the Bible it is this: Your sins will find you out.

You wouldn't dream of committing sexual sin if you thought you would get caught. You will. Listen to what the Scriptures say,

You may be sure that your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23).
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known (Luke 12:2).

Our sins will find us out sooner rather than later. Why? Because God will not be mocked. If you don't believe it, ask Frank Gifford.

Let me ask you a question. Do you think God's reputation is at stake when a Christian commits sexual sin? It's not. Actually, God's reputation would be at stake if He didn't punish such sin.

What do you do if you have a suit of clothes that gets stained? You send it to the cleaners. It would embarrass you not to get it cleaned. That's exactly what God does.

You and I are the suit of clothes God wears. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The same God who created 100 billion galaxies that stretch millions of light years deep into space is making us into His dwelling place. He is always with us and will never forsake us (Hebrew 13:5, Matthew 28:20). The point is: Not only will people come to know our sins, God already knows.

2. Is It Easy or Difficult To Fall Into Sexual Temptation?
It is very easy for a Christian to fall into sexual temptation. Through creation the eye has been made to appreciate beauty. Through the fall the flesh has been made to lust after that beauty.

Any man who says that he doesn't struggle with sexual temptation is lying. Augustine put it this way: "After the fall lust rules." (He would know. He had an illegitimate son by the first of his two mistresses).

We live in a sexsaturated society. Everyday we are bombarded by the availability of sexual explicit materials whether TV, movies, magazines, books, or the Internet. In today's newspaper the women's underwear ads are equivalent to "girlie" magazines of 25 years ago!

Clothing suggests a sensuality that was taboo not that long ago. The social penalties for sexual sin have all but disappeared whether lust, premarital sex, cohabitation, or homosexuality.

3. Is It Easy or Difficult To Fall Into Sexual Sin?
How likely is it that a man walking closely with Christ might stroll down a sidewalk, have a woman seduce him, and succumb? Not very.

It's not that easy for a Christian to fall into sexual sin. You have to flirt with sexual sin for a long time before you will fall. You've got to plot and plan it out. You've got to spend a lot of time figuring out how not to get caught. All of this takes an enormous amount of forethought and premeditation. This thought should provide a great deal of comfort to men who truly love Christ.

If you abide in Christ it's just not that easy to stumble into sexual sin. However, if you live on the edge in a secret thought life you are vulnerable. What kind of company do you keep? What kind of thoughts do you meditate upon? Do you have habits that bring you into contact with sexually tempting materials? How vulnerable have you made yourself?

Three Practical Ideas
1. Trample Your Temptations. Do you know the difference between men and women when it comes to temptation? Women flee temptation! Men slowly crawl away hoping temptation will overtake them.

1 Corinthians 6:18 says, "Flee from sexual immorality." If you don't want to sin, don't permit habits that bring you into temptation, like watching sexy TV, casual flirting, or spending time "online" with no accountability. Don't put yourself in compromising situations. Don't hire a secretary to whom you feel a physical attraction. Don't stare out the window at your neighbor's wife doing yard work.

2. Honor Your Wife. Here's a story borrowed from our new book, What Husbands Wish Their Wives Knew About Men (Zondervan, January 1998):

Mike loves God with all his heart. Yet, he made a regular practice of checking out beautiful women. One day he realized what he was doing was sinful against his wife. He made a commitment to stop looking and lusting.
"One day not much later," Mike said, "I was sitting in a restaurant just finishing my meal. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a very sensual woman walk into the restaurant. I was determined that I was not going to look at her and lust.

"I didn't know what to do, so I prayed and asked God for help. As it happened, there were about three peas left on my plate. I decided to focus on those peas and began to stare real hard.

"I felt like my head was caught in a giant tug-of-war. One force pulled my jaw upward to look at this woman. The other force yanked my eyes back toward those three peas. It was a bare-knuckles brawl between old habit and new commitment. My face was half twisted toward her, but my eyes bulged out to stay glued on those peas.

"Finally, the battle began to subside. A few moments later it was over. I had won. God gave a spiritual victory. I still am tempted to lust, but God has given me the power to have victory every time I ask His help."

One day a few months later, Mike took his wife to lunch. As they waited for the check she said, "Mike, I've noticed you don't look at women anymore. I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate that. Thank you very much."

3. Cling To Christ. Emerge Ministries works with pastors who have fallen into sexual sin. Founder Richard Dobbins states that every single one of these pastors have one thing in common. In the days, weeks, and months leading up to their moral failure not one of these men had maintained a consistent time of daily devotions. In other words, their public ministry continued even though their personal walk with Christ had ground to a halt.

The ultimate protection from sexual sin is to live out of the overflow of a vibrant, personal relationship with Jesus. You are only vulnerable when you fail to abide in Christ.

-taken from Topics
Serving Pastors And Leaders Who Reach Men
http://www.maninthemirror.org/alm/alm.htm

Amen to the article by Morely.  ;D But, wait ONE SECOND!  Did somebody MISS the "For Men Only" sign? :P

your sign seen my sign and bowed (http://www.jimlynch.com/images/baaa.gif)

Thanks for the article shylynne. I suppose God can be found in most anything, even peas.  :)

Signs actually see and bow toward one another?  Sounds rather formal?  Are they from the royal court of England?  I didn’t even realize signs could see one another.  I always thought they were designed to be SEEN and not to actually see!....LOL… :D

I have been formally secretly and silently  commissioned Her RCMP of CU, so If I say a sign bows, it does  :P




I suppose God can be found in most anything, even peas.  

  :D

Hmmmmmmmm.... :P

insubordinate boys! (http://www.jimlynch.com/images/icon_rolleyes.gif)

“Insubordinate” may be an accurate overall assessment.  Although, upon additional thought, I believe an individual, no need to name names, is “rebellious” in defying the posted SIGNS, even if the signs are “bowing”.

By the way, Webster’s dictionary describes “Insubordinate” as, “Not submitting to authority; disobedient; rebellious; mutinous”.  I think when the “For Men Only” sign was posted they had a specific point in mind.  Hence, doing something contrary to this posted sign is, as Webster so nicely put it, “Not submitting to authority; disobedient; rebellious; [and YES even] mutinous”!!!

Insubordinate” is an accurate overall assessment...and additional thoughts always get a man in trouble  :P

 

Tell this mutinous man I have RCMP privvy please peas  :D
Blackeyedpeas dont make me bring my horse in here!  

Oklahoma Howdy to Tony,

 ;D  The Royal Canadian Mounted Police go where they want, when they want, with or without a warrant. Didn't you know that you never mess with or question a Mounty? There isn't even a trial. The Mounty is the judge, jury, and executioner. The easiest punishment I've ever heard of is 6 months of stable clean-up duty. On a repeat or aggravated incident, you do the clean-up bare handed.

One never messes with a Mounty. If their horse gets hurt or tired, they ride grissly bears. I'm afraid it's too late for you.   ;D

nyuck nyuck nyuck nyuck!  ;D

 (http://www.stuffedanimalhouse.com/1mounty_beaver.jpg)

OH MY!!!! - A Mounty without a horse is not a happy Mounty!

Fortunately, I live in Ohio…. Where local politics and family connections dictate ones well being… ;D ;D ;D ;D

The mascot was nyuck`n cause a women is finally being  allowed a place of honorary recognition in a  mans world LOL  ;D
 ...Or it might have been nyuck`n cause we lagged so far behind the rodents, since it was way back in 1975 when the beaver received  official written recognition by Royal assent.  ::)

So i`m really not sure if it`s nyuck`n at the women or the men... but henceforth all men who dont protest women`s presence here shall be dubbed DUDLEY DO RIGHTS  :D

UNfortunately the same can`t be said for your well being at CU  :P

`cides...any man who rejects the truth that, all  real underlying reason for his well being is the undeniable result of the women folk allowing it to be so, is deluding only himself  :D

DUDLEY DO WRONG!  >:(

Hmmm... doubtul any "men" will really enjoy being "dubbed Dudley Do Rights".  But, then again, some men are proud to be called "gay".   ???

hmmm......I was referring to the cartoonish Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties, lonely defender of justice, and fair play, handsome, brave, daring... and hopelessly lost...only it appears now i`m the one hopelessly lost  ???

Oklahoma Howdy to Shylynne & Tony,

 ;D   ;D  Ya'll are killin' me.  ROFL

I don't know anything about Dudley Do-right except that my little brother used to watch a cartoon by that name 40+ years ago.

This incident has now become international, so I called in Scotland Yard for a full investigation.   ;D   ;D


Who knows how the investigation will turn out??

I GOT IT!  Let`s see now...how does a man outsmart a gal raised with enough brothers to make a baseball team...well quite simply they dont...not for very long anyways...soooooo... I thought all night...and figured it out! ha!   ;D
See...my brothers never liked me tagging along when they went fishing...me being a GIRL...but mother said I could...so since they had no say in the matter...they thought they would get me to get lost by hollering LAMPEREEEEEL!...every time  my toes touched the  water...I was smart enough to know what they were up too...and crossed my arms and bluffed I aint scared of no lampereel`s...so then they told me there`s hundreds of little blood suckers in this water, and if one gets on you its going to suck all the blood from your body...ok...I was kinda fond of my blood...and did`nt fancy losing it cause i`m born stubborn...so that kept me from wading into too far into their fishin hole...but I was`nt really convinced until one  day one actually got on my brothers leg and he did some sort of wild tribal dance while screaming he was gonna die! (for my benefit i`m sure) ...ok that definately worked!  But the point is one learns a lot about the inner tickings of a male mind being raised with all males...and that was then ...and this is now...and the lil tricks to get me to get lost just wont work ...so the conclusion of the whole matter is men are DUDLEYS...wether right or wrong...bumbling fumbling amusing characters...and you only said men would`nt like being called that cause Dudly Do-Right wears a red coat!
Elementary My Dear Watson!  :P

 ;D

I know I know eh!  :D

I believe our furry friend makes a simplistic, but well deserving point!!  ;) ;D

I think it is time to call, Sherlock Holmes.  (http://www.raritanval.edu/departments/busadmin/full-time/Defilippis/tops/image/home/AnimSherlock_Ag00595.gif)

Well, all of this investigating of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has worn me out. You can't catch them long enough to investigate them. I need a faster horse.   ;D


Tom

Here you go, :D
(http://boomersint.org/images/holidays/Animated-Rocking-Horse.gif)
Oops wrong horse
(http://www.bhs.org.uk/Horse_clip-art/cowboy.gif)

still  the wrong one grrrrrrrrrrr
(http://www.bhs.org.uk/Horse_clip-art/ARace_horseNuts_animated.gif)
Ahhhhhhhh there you go. :D

 ;D  The rocking horse - just my speed.

ROFL!

I thought the second one was perfect for tom...
NO I thought the second one WAS tom ! ;D

I think a patrol car woul be more fitting for Tom... Let the Canadians trot around on the backs of animals...

LOL!   :P

Na lets see Tom ride a horse.......... :P

Oklahoma Howdy to Dreamweaver,

I'm not much of a cowboy, even though I'm from Oklahoma. However, you are talking about a stick horse, RIGHT?   ;D

Love In Christ,
Tom

a stick horse? LOL!

a`m gettin worried...perhaps a rocking horse would be more your speed ole` Tomboy?

Sister Shylynne,

 ;D  I resemble that remark. Get me a helmet and a seat belt, and I'll be set to go.

Tom

The Cost and Power of a Godly Life

Are we willing to lose while standing for what is right?
by J.C. Watts Jr.

After I left Congress, I was interviewing for a job. My prospective employers approached me and laid out the criteria for the position.

I fit all the criteria: I had been in leadership in Congress. I had been a strong advocate of business and of making a profit. I believe that success is not a sin and poverty is not a virtue. It's OK to make a profit if you can't make a profit, there won't be jobs. If I make a profit, I'll create jobs.

I fit the mold of everything that they wanted. But they finally got around to telling me that I didn't get the job. "You're too conservative," they said. They meant, "You need to back off of your faith."

When I was in Congress I told my constituents, "I will get beat up because I am pro-life. I am for defending the sanctity of marriage. And I want to tell you up front that if you vote for me, those are the positions that I will take. I am willing to lose while standing for what's right."

Character matters. At one point while I was serving in Congress, I found myself on the floor of the House of Representatives, and we were discussing the issue of character. Some were saying that as long as the economy was good, it didn't matter what one's character was. But character does matter. Here is a simple definition of character: Character is doing what is right when no one is looking. That's what my father, Buddy Watts, said.

I think a lot about how to make my profession Christian. Our lives are the only "Bible" that many people will ever read. They'll never pick up Scripture and read the book of Exodus and the Ten Commandments; they'll never turn to 1 Samuel and read about David. But they will read our lives.

It is encouraging to see executive leaders, businessmen and women, who stand boldly for their faith and say that you can be successful and also be moral; that you can be successful and also honest; that you can be successful and also be ethical. It is an encouragement to me because I see so many in the business community who, when they get over-absorbed in the political process, do not stand for their values. They are not willing to lose while standing on their principles.

If you are to make your profession Christian, there's going to be a cost. If you want to stand on God's Word, there's going to be a cost. But I guarantee you, when it's all said and done, the cost is worth it.

J.C. Watts Jr. is chairman of J.C. Watts Companies, after serving eight years in the United States Congress. He was also a speaker at the Christian Executive Leadership Forum at the Billy Graham Training Center, April 30-May 2, 2004.

Adapted from "Christian Influence the Power of a Godly Life," at the Christian Executive Leadership Forum at the Billy Graham Training Center. ©2004 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Photo/Illustration: Russ Busby/©2004 BGEA

~from the July/August 2004 issue of "Decision" magazine

AMEN!!

Oklahoma Howdy to SincereHeart,

Sister, thanks for the article about character. There once was a time in America where all leaders were expected to stand up for morals and Biblical principles. Sadly, much of the news media grinds many of those people up and spits them out now.

I was just thinking about this. It is easy to knock this person down and beat him or her up pretty badly unless others stand behind them, prop them up, or pick them up. It sure would be nice to hear a roar of support for what America used to demand in just about all professions. It is almost a given now that the opposite is true most of the time. If there is a cost associated with standing up for Jesus and Biblical principles, LET'S PAY IT, KEEP PAYING IT, AND HOLD EACH OTHER UP DURING THE ASSAULT THAT IS SURE TO COME!

Love in Christ,
Tom

"I am willing to lose while standing for what's right."
Character matters.

amen!

Brother, it seems you have the only stick horses......