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Where Is Porn Taking You?

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

“In the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to the grave.” Proverbs 5:4,5

I remember the first time I looked at porn. I was maybe 10 or 11. I was trying to navigate to a website for video games. This one “accident” led to over a decade of intentional abuse. I don’t know how much of an “accident” it was for me to stumble upon it. I have a suspicion that porn is directly marketed to adolescent males. Either that or it’s a widespread coincidence that most men discover porn at that age; something I’m not keen to buy into. It seems more likely that it’s intentional marketing. 

My parents had mentioned that porn was wrong. That it had a way of invading your mind. They would often digress into why sex outside of marriage is wrong. What they didn’t know, was that I was already enslaved to it. The dangers of pornography were just beginning. 

Ted Bundy, a serial killer in the 1970s claimed that pornography influenced his actions. “It happened in stages, gradually, it doesn’t happen overnight. My experience with pornography; once it becomes an addiction… I would keep looking for more potent, more explicit, more graphic kinds of material. Pornography only goes so far. You reach a jumping off point where you begin to wonder if maybe actually “doing it” will give you that which is beyond just reading about it or looking at it.”

Pornography is dangerous because it is never satisfied. You may think you have it “under control” or that you “can quit when you want to.” But do not be fooled watching porn is walking you down a path to hell. 

Now, you might be saved. You may indeed be in heaven in the next life. If you are addicted to pornography, however, your life will be as real a hell as anything. There is no more a miserable Christian than the one who is living in a secret life of sin. 

Porn is leading you to hell. You will be tortured by your lack of integrity. You will feel imprisoned and enslaved. You will say and do things that you hate. You will live in constant fear of being found out.

What you need is a fresh vision of Jesus. Give yourself to hearing the gospel, again, and again. Humble yourself before God and seek help. 

The hardest season in my life was when I finally faced this particular demon publically. My girlfriend (now my wife) was wrecked. My ministry was mangled and hurt. My reputation was ruined and I lost some respect from my family. But honestly I was already living in a personal hell before I told them.

Now I’m in recovery. God is healing wounds and cleaning my thought life. I’m free to speak candidly and with authority of Jesus’ redemptive power. I don’t live in fear of being found out or exposed. As a whole I experience freedom and life!

Where is porn taking you? To hell. “Her steps follow the path to the grave.”

IGRG: How Jesus Read The Law

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

Jesus’ paramount teaching was the sermon on the mount. The sermon is mostly a re-teaching of the law. Jesus gives the law “you have heard it said ‘do not murder; anyone who commits murder will be liable to judgment’ ‘but I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement.’ Do you see how Jesus approaches the law with a specific mindset?

When Jesus read the Bible He didn’t focus on the letter of the law, rather the Spirit of that law. Do not commit murder is the law. Do not have hatred for your neighbor is the Spirit of the law. Jesus does this throughout His teaching. He doesn’t make the law easier, rather, He takes that law and reveals the heart of God. 

This is something that all followers of Jesus can do and should do. If you read the Law for rules and regulations it will be death to you. If you read the Law to discover the heart of God it is abundant life!  

Let’s take a law and see if we can discern the Spirit of the law. 

Exodus 23:5 “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” 

Here’s the law: If you see your enemy’s donkey struggling under too much weight save the donkey and the goods. 

Here’s the Spirit: God desires you to do good to your enemy, and care for his interests. 

I believe this is a good interpretation of the Law. It doesn’t make the law easier, by any means. If anything it makes it more difficult. Jesus’ interpretation of the law always makes the law harder to accomplish in human strength. Because the Spirit of the law shows us our deep need for God. 

All of the law should cause us to look to God for our salvation. The law is not there to make you morally sound, it is there to show you how dead you are. When we read a law like “you shall have no other gods before me” we come face to face with how many idols we have in our hearts, and how impossible it is to give our hearts to God alone. The law shows us how dead we really are. 

Jesus lived the law perfectly, and walked in the Spirit of the law completely. By dying on the cross and rising again Jesus now gives life to all who have Faith in Him. We, by faith, no longer follow the law in order to save ourselves. We have been saved; now we walk by the Spirit to be more like the Law Giver. Those who have been made alive in Jesus can now walk in the Spirit of God’s law!

Is God Really Good? IGRG

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

Sometimes we get caught up with the christian ritual. In the conservative Baptist churches I grew up in, occasionally, the pastor would say “God is good, all the time” and the congregation would respond “all the time, God is good.” It happened with such frequency it was a bit like a modern day chant amongst monks. 

When I was a boy “God was good”, it was a notion I didn’t question. In my teen years my faith was being shaped and beaten by the culture. I started to try the locks on every door. One of these closed doors was marked “God is good.” I was worried to twist the door knob, perhaps that room was empty. I did it anyway. 

To know what you believe you have to test what you’ve been told. Genuine faith has reason. The American culture was clear; God is oppressive, tyrannical, and hypocritical. God in the eyes of the media was anything but good, a sexual deviant, a liar, and weak. In the church I was a part of God was mean and judgmental, but occasionally did a good thing. 

I was almost swept up in this cultural current. However there is one thing almost everyone agrees on “Jesus is good.”

I couldn’t reconcile the things I was hearing about God, and the things I was hearing about Jesus. If Jesus was the son of God and He was good, why did God seem so awful? Jesus knew the Old Testament couldn’t He see it was filled with slavery and genocide?

I figured there must be something I’m missing. I started looking into the Old Testament and the Law; maybe I could figure out why Jesus who was good, would love a God who did the things in the Old Testament. 

I’m going to create a series of posts going forward that deal with the goodness of God in the Old Testament. I hope you’ll join me!

Lifestyle Apologetics

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

How should apologetics influence our life? I can be a bit of a heavy headed nerd. I’m constantly watching lectures, listening to audio clips or reading books. Most of my study is in the field of christian apologetics.

When I say apologetics, most people think of heated debates between atheists and theologians. Debates can be fun to watch but I’m not much for arguing. In the gospel accounts you find Jesus often giving teaching and rebuttal, but very little arguing. Everything He said was a bit jarring to the religious teachers of that time. However, I don’t see many debates.

Jesus loved apologetics. Apologetics is giving a defense or laying out reason for belief. Jesus constantly gave reasons for kingdom life. “Your Father knows what you need, so do not pray like the pagans because they think they will be heard for their many words.” “There will come a time when you do not worship God on the mountain or in the temple. God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.”

You see what Jesus did (and what we ought to do) was use apologetics in teaching. We associate apologetics with arguing and debating, and indeed there is room for that. Jesus, however, used reason and logic for speaking to others.

He had a lifestyle of apologetics. Everything Jesus did or taught was influenced by REASON. Do not mistake reason for intention. You can be intentional without being reasonable. I find myself drinking soda even though I have reason to believe it’s bad for me. Many people watch television at an unreasonable hour. Some people are afraid of clowns even though they know that clowns are just normal people in costumes.

Apologetics can’t just be something we know, it must influence the way we live. If Jesus taught all of these wonderful truths, but it was not a lifestyle He walked in, they would have been useless. In that same way you may believe that you need to read your Bible more. You may have reason to believe it; because God speaks through the scriptures. But if you do not read your Bible, your apologetics are useless.

I reckon there are many christians who have reasonable beliefs and biblical apologetic stances but their lifestyle remains uninfluenced by them. We must have lifestyles that are affected by our apologetics.

Can Jesus Walk On Water

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There’s a story in the New Testament. Jesus had sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee while He sent a crowd away and to pray alone. However, during their crossing there was a storm that made it difficult for the disciples. In the midst of this storm the disciples saw a figure walking on the water towards them.

They were freaked out, even to the point they thought it was a ghost. As it turns out it was Jesus walking on water. The disciples weren’t convinced it was Jesus. They knew Jesus was powerful, but walking on water in the midst of a storm seemed unlikely. Jesus commanded them “don’t be afraid, take courage”

Peter was pretty doubtful “Lord, if it really is you, let me come out on the water with you.” Jesus said “come.” Peter climbed out of the boat and onto the water.

As Peter walked on the water towards Jesus he got freaked out by the storm. He started to sink. He yelled “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out and saved Peter and they both walked back to the boat.

Yes Jesus can walk on water. This story is found in Matthew, Mark and John.

Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-56, John 6:16-34

Who Did Jesus Throw Out Of The Temple

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When Jesus entered the temple He saw something wrong. He saw men inside selling animals for sacrifice. Some theologians will tell you that Jesus was upset because there were animals in a place of worship. Other Biblical scholars will assert that it was because the sellers were overcharging for the animals.

In my opinion, Jesus was upset by the hearts of those in the market. They had come to the house of God to make money. It’s easy to look at them and say “what wickedness.” No doubt it’s easy for us to judge.

These men in the market are not so different from us. Sure they were trying to make a profit, but what about our building fundraisers and donation campaigns? They sold the blood of goats and doves to people who wanted to make a sacrifice, and we sell books and videos to those wanting to “Experience God.”

We like to think that we are very different from these “money changers” but many of them were struggling financially. Some of them were trying to provide for their family. Just like us. Some of that money no doubt went to “support the local priest.”

If it’s true they were just trying to make ends meet, why did Jesus respond the way that He did? Jesus said “My house is to be a house of prayer, but you have made it a gathering place for thieves.” A thief has his heart set on money. The love of money is always on his mind. These men had their hearts turned towards the things of this world.

The focus of their hearts ought to have been on God. Their hearts should have been engaged in prayer. Their hearts were only seeing the things of this world. They had made idols in the temple of God.

What’s worse, they made the house of prayer into a marketplace. By doing this they redirected the focus of the worship from prayer to making a sacrifice. By selling the blood of bulls and goats they declared that “your prayers are not enough, you need sacrifice”. They were robbing God of real worship and humility, and selling His people cheap sacrifice.

The Western Church has a responsibility to keep the market place out of the Church. She must never detract from worship with fundraising. Her heart must be set on things above. The church should be funded completely by offerings and tithes of her members.

I realize this is not a popular view, but it is an honest one.

Can Jesus Visit You In A Dream?

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Can Jesus visit you in a dream? If Jesus is God and has all power, then of course Jesus can visit you in a dream. God is no stranger to using dreams to communicate to people in the Bible. Jesus has the capacity of visiting you in a dream.

I’ve heard of people being visited by Jesus in a dream. You hear stories of these dreams leading people of false religions to Jesus. There have been increasing reports of Jesus dreams in muslim communities.

I will not condemn these. If they truly bear good fruit then they must be from God. The disciples wanted to stop a certain man from preaching because they didn’t know who he was. Jesus told them “do not stop him from preaching, whoever is not against you is for you.” If these dreams are bringing people to a genuine faith and relationship with Jesus how could anyone condemn them?

However, and this is a big one, Jesus will only testify to the truth (John 18:37). If Jesus did come to you in a dream you would need to be able to verify His identity by comparing your dream to the truth of scripture.

Jesus would never tell you something contrary to what God has revealed in the Bible. If Jesus visited you in a dream and told you to kill anyone it would clearly be against the law of God. If dream Jesus gave you stock market advice or told you to sleep with someone outside of marriage, you can bet that’s not Jesus. Jesus won’t teach you to be selfish or sinful.

Yes, Jesus can visit you in a dream. However, if you’re a follower of Jesus you have His presence in the Bible and in the Spirit living within you. God has spoken in many ways throughout time. But the greatest revelation of God is the Gospel of Jesus found in the Bible. If you want to know Jesus, you don’t have to have a dream. You can know Him personally through prayer and fellowship in His word.

Can Jesus Fly?

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This is a fun question, eh? I don’t know which of you are out there googling this, but I commend your curiosity! The simple answer is, yes. It appears that Jesus can.

After His crucifiction and ressurection Jesus appeared to a number of His followers. He gave them a commission to go out and make disciples. Then the Bible says that Jesus ascended to heaven. Which is quite an exit!

Acts 1:9-12

Porn Hurts Healthy Sex

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

Before I was married I was enslaved to pornography. I hated that I kept falling into the same habits. My behaviors related to pornography and masturbation absolutely crippled me psychologically. I had this secret life that seemed to creep into every part of who I was. I considered myself a follower of Jesus, but I couldn’t keep from watching porn.

What I didn’t know was how watching porn made sex with my wife so difficult. After Jesus had set me free from pornography I noticed something strange.

The conditioning from porn made sex with my wife harder to enjoy. I had gotten so used to watching porn and masturbating that pleasing my wife became difficult. You see something in my mind was used to the ease of access to porn and gratification.

Sex is much more about a mutual pursuit of pleasure for your spouse. But when you’re so used to just focusing on your own pleasure it makes having sex more challenging. You’re not used to seeking the pleasure of your wife.

God gave me grace to learn love in sex. To seek the good of my wife over my own gratification. That’s not to say I wasn’t satisfied, on the contrary, sex with my wife is one of the most wonderful things in marriage. But in the beginning I was so selfish.
Porn makes good men selfish. It makes sex one sided. God’s plan for sex is sacrificial and meaningful. Pornography makes sex one sided and neurotic. It’s easy to pursue your own gratification in porn. By contrast, the greatest good in sex is the pleasure you bring to your spouse.
God wants to heal you of your addiction to porn. Consider taking a step to meeting with a counselor or a pastor. The quality of sex in your marriage is dependent upon your freedom from selfishness.

Why Did Jesus Die On The Cross?

D.S. LeverettLeave a comment

I have no hope at all to answer such a question in one chapter. It is something I could write about for the rest of my life, even for a thousand years, and barely scratch the surface of.

However, it is one of the fundamental questions of Christianity. I will give you an answer, but know that it is not the fullest answer to this question.

Jesus died on the cross in order that anyone who believes on Him would be reconciled to God, and begin to know God and enjoy Him forever.

We are both victims and perpetrators of broken law. We are enslaved by evil and malevalence. But, we are also guilty of being evil. Because of these two realities we cannot know God.
This evil keeps us from knowing and being with God. What’s more, it makes us hurt everyone, and everything around us. There is no part of God’s Earth that has not experienced pain and corruption because of men. Mankind is sick. If God had wiped the earth clean of mankind it would only cleanse the Earth of our sickness.

But God had compassion on us. He sent Jesus to take the evil of mankind in His own body (even though He had no sin). When Jesus was on the cross God destroyed all evil. Then Jesus by the power of God, was made alive again.

Jesus now gives anyone, who is fully persuaded by His death and ressurection, the ability to be free from evil. By trusting that Jesus’ death was enough to destroy our sin we can be free from sin. Being persuaded that Jesus came back to life, we are given new life in relationship with God.

Jesus didn’t just die to make you good. Jesus died so that you would be given new life! Life so that you may know and enjoy God forever.