Faith-bearing Seed for the Soul
"While the earth remaineth,
Seedtime and harvest
....shall not cease"

Genesis 8:22

Whose Battle is it, Anyway?

I'm sure you all are getting as much pornographic material as I am from AOL. Every day I've had to delete 15 to 20 disgusting emails...and this morning, the one that read, "EatEve" in the subject line sent me into orbit! Right in the midst of my rage, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You are passing up a golden opportunity to plant some seeds. First of all, Marlene, the battle is Mine,  vengeance is Mine and I will repay. Secondly, when you allow this to fill you with rage, resentment, bitterness and hostility, you don't even have to 'open' the email and the enemy has already won a victory over you."

I realized that I was beginning to despise the people sending the material, as well as being upset with AOL because they seemed to not be doing enough about it. I noticed that when I began receiving so much of it from AOL, that all the other net pornography has stopped coming. I was even beginning to believe that AOL had bought all the others' accounts...Bizarre thinking! But, I wasn't thinking clearly about it because I wasn't thinking with the mind of Christ. We are told to hate sin, not the sinners. We are told to love our enemies, to bless those that curse us and to PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DESPITEFULLY USE YOU. (Matt. 5)

One of my buddies online sent me this verse this morning...just what I needed:

II Thessalonians 1:4-8 LB (Emphasis mine)

We are happy to tell other churches about your PATIENCE and COMPLETE  FAITH IN GOD, in spite of all the crushing troubles and hardships you are going through. This is only one example of the fair, just way God does things, for He is using your sufferings to make you ready for His kingdom, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HE IS PREPARING JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE HURTING YOU. And so I would say to you who are suffering, God will give you rest along with us when the Lord Jesus appears suddenly from heaven in flaming fire with His mighty angels, bringing judgment on those who do not wish to know God, and who refuse to accept His plan to save them through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After reading those verses I realized that what God had told Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20:15 applied here...That this is not my battle...it is way too much for me...God has said, "For the battle is not yours, but God's!" He reminded me, once again, what my job is...to go into the world and preach the Gospel. So, I am now replying to those who send me pornographic material in this manner:

You have sent me pornography that I am not in the least bit  interested in. You know, it saddens my heart to see someone with the potential that you have throwing it away, not only in this life, but your eternal life in the hereafter, which could be spent in heaven with Jesus, if you would only turn to Him and ask Him to forgive your sins. I don't hate you, but I do despise what Satan is doing to you and your life, AND how he is robbing you of the peace, joy, and love of God. So I am going to pray for you.

I bind Satan, in the powerful name of Jesus, from blinding your spiritual eyes to the truth, and I loose to you the love, forgiveness and ability to see the Savior, Jesus Christ, who is waiting with open arms to receive you as His child.

(Feel free to use that if you feel so led.)

Then, before "deleting" their email, I'm saying an additional prayer for them and all the others listed on the email. Well, all my frustration has vanished... and I have a feeling that God is better pleased with my attitude and actions. 0;)

Se'lah! Let's pause and think about this for a moment.

Planted and rooted in Christ Jesus,

Marlene

Texas Sower

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Eccl. 11:6

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