A NOTE TO REMEMBER

A few days ago while taking a walk in a park I looked down and saw a
scrap of paper and was going to be a good citizen to pick it up and
throw it in a trash can. Being curious, I first glanced at this little

note and it simply said "nice butt. Look but don't touch". Now I hope
I have not offended anyone reading this but I found it rather comical
that maybe some young man had been out there on the walking path and
had a reminder to himself in order to not let temptation get the best
of him. Since I was on the "love month" I decided to use this as a

opportunity to speak of what love was not. Was this one of those "God
things"? Who knows.

Love is not lusting after someone. This little reminder I found that

was written on a post it note was probably someone dealing with a

temptation or an addiction perhaps. It is hard to say, but in the
Bible in Matthew 5:28(NIV) it says 'But I tell you whoever looks at a

woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.' Adult magazines should be treated like poison to include the
type that make a homosexual man lust after other men, which is totally
not okay either. This is a real problem and unfortunately Christians
are not exempt so need to be on their guard. If you suffer from this

problem ask God to help you. Get into Christian counseling or find a
trusted accountability partner to confide in. There are filters for
your computer such as "Covenant Eyes" which would be a good investment
for someone with this temptation that is so strong they can not
control it.

The enemy can have a hey day in 2013 with quick access to online porn,
adult movie channels in hotel rooms, adult magazines and even more
acceptable magazines such as "Sports Illustrated Annual Swimsuit"
issue which still has nudity inside it's pages. If you subscribe to

"Sports Illustrated" for your preteen and teen children or husband my

recommendation would be to keep an eye out for this issue. Satan puts
all types of "eye candy" out there to lead people astray. You do not
hear that much about women and these sort of problems, but they aren't
exempt. 1 Peter 5:8(NIV) says 'Be self controlled and alert because
your enemy the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour.'Satan is constantly scheming of ways to destroy

Christians and this lust issue is a big one. Just look at TV today and
the movies. "Plugged In Online" is a good resource for seeking good
entertainment choices for the family.

Amos 5:14(NLT) says 'Do what is good and run from evil, that you may
live! Then the Lord God Almighty will truly be your helper just as you
have claimed He is!'. In Proverbs 5:18(NIV) speaking to men it says
'May your fountain be blessed and may you rejoice in the wife of your
youth.' Plainly put, love your wife and keep your eyes from

wandering.Run from anything that is evil before Satan snares you in
its' trap.

Let me end with this verse from 1 Corinthians 10:13(NIV) which says
'No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted He will also provide a way of out so you can
stand up under it.' God is able to help so just call on Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus you created all things and among those are the
beauty of mankind. Help me Lord stay away from TV shows, movies,
books, magazines or anything that would entice lust within me. I can
do all things with your help. In Jesus name. Amen.