Psychological Impotence

Psychological Impotence
Almost anything can hijack your brain and shut down healthy interaction. From the speed junkie to the sports junkie. A junkie has a hi jacked brain. It’s hooked to the source of pleasure that triggers the dopamine release in the pleasure centers of the brain. This interaction tightens by demanding more stimulation to get the same pleasure. This then overrides almost everything else depending on the strength of the hijack.
The result? A hijacked brain... that thinks of little else than getting the next shot of dopamine.

I see it all the time in relationships:
1. Couples do not guard their bond so Netflix, the shot of alcohol, the office secretary’s cleavage or attention, porn, masturbation (self love) etc. dull the senses to each other and ignites the obsession.
2. A sexual affair has even more power. It engages all of the senses and turns off the brain to the spouse - psychological impotence.
3. Junk food makes a junkie. Sugar and its substitutes creates dependence. We are now a nation of food junkies.
4. Work, the relational or business power trip, and the accumulation of more, hook the best of intentions.

Why?
Its a progression:
1. Ignorance of the bonding principles
2. Ignorance of brain and relational function.
3. Ignorance of how the heart is formed
4. Leaving no developed capacity for real relationship
5. Thus not firmly bonded to God.
6. Thus not firmly bonded to each other.

Here is what the Solomon says, who later had his brain hijacked by adultery:
Proverbs 4:20-23
My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

Lord, I am not impervious to this. I have allowed these forces to dull my relationship with you. I repent.
“My son, anything that draws you from me is sin. Sin is the handle the devil needs to grab and control you. You are forgiven. Stay within the safety of my arms. These are the last days and this is the reason why the love of many is growing cold.”

Battle for sexual purity.

Did you know that you have the capability to wire your own brain? What you take in with your eyes and ears will, over time, cause you to think and behave in certain ways. Your brain is powerful that way; it can store images for years, and these images will literally re-wire your mind.

In our modern world, that can be troubling. Across social media feeds, broadcasted through commercials, and mixed in popular TV shows, we’re bombarded with impure images—from graphic violence to all sexuality outside of marriage—and as we take in these illustrations, it’s becoming normalized. Our brain patterns are changing, and our behavior is at the risk of being altered.

And that’s the problem.

Jesus says that a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. What does that mean? If you have lust in your heart, it will produce lustful behavior; if you’re fostering sinful thoughts in your heart, they’ll produce sinful behavior.

But the only way to change your behavior is to change your heart. How? Jesus says in Matthew 6:22, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Ultimately, what you take in with your eyes will make its way to your heart.

So in order to wire our brain in a positive way toward godliness, we have to guard our hearts and guard our eyes. It’s in this effort that we realize the truth of Proverbs 14:16: “The wise are cautious and avoid danger.” This is the reward—by being watchful and prudent with what our eyes and heart take in, we will also find ourselves growing in other ways, such as with godly wisdom. This is because God sees and will bless our commitment to Him.

If you were being honest with yourself, what sinful behavior is affecting your life?

To dig a bit deeper, what sinful thoughts might those behaviors stem from?

         

May this be our prayer today: “God, I want to be a good tree that produces good fruit. Please give me the strength to battle negative images, and as I guard my eyes, may you be honored by the fruit I produce.”

1 John

hey guys – still hunkered down in 1 john. 

 

I wrote a couple days ago about living ‘fractured’ and how the weight of the blessings God has for us, can actually harm us than do us good, until we heal our cracks (repent, making every effort to remain pure, without sin)

 

I feel as though when I spend more time in the word, when I find myself praying through my day, singing, worshipping in what I do, that I am in effect, spending more time with Jesus.

 

If I invited you over to my house but you were obsessed with your phone and paid me no attention, I wouldn’t say that we are spending time together.  I would say we are in physical proximity, but not ‘spending time’. 

 

I hear God telling me that the answer to our fractured lives is simple. 1 John 2:12-14.   Spend more time with Jesus.  As a result and through that, we gain an understanding of WHO WE ARE in Christ and just how liberated from sin we actually are.

 

Praying for you now to keep in the word, spend time with Jesus, heal those fractures and get ready for the weight of his blessings. 

 

Peace and Love,

Jon

You Ready?

Hey Guys – a quick word.

 

When God calls you to an assignment, nudges you to have a conversation, or convicts you to be bold in your faith, this is the time.

 

Seize the day, plow in the right season, and experience the harvest. God is on the move in your life and in the world, and He wants you to join in.

 

So be ready with arms wide open to His plans today.

 

Admit your faults, failures and fractures.  Be healed.  Be righteous.  And then, be ready.

 

Reminders for: praying for persons of peace, sharing your struggles, victories.  What are you praying for and how can we? 

 

Proverbs 20 v.4

Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.

Your inner circle.

Who are they?

 

We may not always get to choose the people who surround us. We didn’t choose our in-laws, the co-workers who share our cube wall, or the neighbors who live next door.

 

But the friends we allow in our inner circle are our choice. We can choose who we call when we’re feeling down. We can decide who hears about the conflicts in our marriage. And we can pick who we hang out with on the weekends.

 

As God’s people, Solomon emphasized the importance of “iron sharpening iron.” When believers band together to share God’s Word, pray for one another, and give godly advice, we are sharpened. Refined. Renewed. More effective, efficient, and purposeful in our faith. Without the support or sharpening of one another, we become dull and aimless.

 

It’s okay to have non-Christian friends. In fact, it’s more than okay; Jesus, Himself, was known to be a friend of sinners. But they weren’t in His inner circle. Jesus specifically appointed the twelve disciples and intimately surrounded Himself with people of the same mind and of the same mission.

 

Proverbs 27:17 and 19

 

Peace,
Jon

 

The great promise.

After our discussion on parenting last night and re-reading a few notes from Michael’s sermon I got into Deuteronomy 6 and then 2 Peter 1:5 was on my mind and notes from another sermon. 

 

The Scripture.  The Promise.  The GOOD NEWS!

 

2 Peter 1:5-8 says: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, steadfastness; and to steadfastness, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What is God asking me? 

“Where do you work hardest at in life?”

 

“Make Every Effort” (to add to your Faith)

 

You believe in Jesus?  Ok, so what now? 

 

Question:  What do I do work hardest at in life?  What are my life goals?  What are my ministry goals?

 

Do I have a goal to be the person (the man) God wants me to be.  The person I need to be. 

 

When you are the right person, you will produce fruit. 

 

What does the right person look like?

 

God is concerned about changing me and not my circumstances. 

 

What is your attitude?  Do I want to change?  Am I excited to Get to change? 

Do I ask God to change me?

 

Are you thinking I Get to or Have to change?

          Do I have to forgive?

          Do I have to stop watching these movies?

          God will let me into heaven if … ?

 

I need to move from “Have to” to a “GET TO” mentality and perspective.

 

Do you want to be SAVED from the old you?  You really want to hang on to part of the OLD you?

 

You say you believe?  Then you must EXPRESS what you believe.  Go after it.  Verse 5 “make EVERY effort” [to add to your faith].

 

Goodness/knowledge – we are living these busy, hectic and often chaotic lives, scattered and worn thin, giving shallow answers and saying what we think people want to hear about our condition.

 

What effort are we making in knowledge?

 

The knowledge we need to make effort in KNOWing God better.  Growth in knowledge does not mean knowing the facts.  But rather, internalizing those facts, becoming the facts.

 

Self-control – desires are normal.  We have a desire to eat.  We have a desire for sex.  We have a desire for sleep.  We have a desire for play.  We have a desire for clothing.

 

All of these are natural desires. But our controlling them (moderation) is key.  Don’t compare your desire to someone else to think you are doing better than them, so you think you are doing ok because you are doing better than them.  You must look upon yourself and your own actions.

 

Steadfastness- this is patience; holding up under the heavy weight of pressures of life

we might ask god to get rid of the weight, to take away the pain and the pressure.  however, you cannot become steadfast without pressure.

 

Have you ever asked God for difficulties?  To become more steadfast?

Do you care more about your comfort or your character?

 

Would you be willing to accept an entire year of ease with no growth to God OR would you be willing to accept a year of hardship in which you would just grow immeasurably close to Jesus, to walk stride in stride with him, leaning upon him in those moments, learning who HE is and who HE wants you to become?

 

I choose the year of trial.

 

A life of comfort = complacency, taking it easy and no growth towards him

A life of hardship = Growth and closeness to Jesus

 

Godliness- becoming more like God through all of these things; you have been given the ability

 

If you had a treadmill in your home, you return it because you didn’t lose weight, the store might ask you “Did you use it?”  We have the Holy Spirit within us, we have the tool, but are we using it?

 

Brotherly Affection (1 John 4:20) Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

 

Love – love, not for who they are, but in spite of who they are.  The same love God has for us.  Not for who, but in spite of who.

 

God’s Promise for our lives =.  Verse 8.  If they [qualities] are increasing you will be EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCE FRUIT and increase in KNOWLEDGE of JESUS.

 

Don’t compare these (in you) to others, but only to yourself. 

 

Are you more loving than you were a few months ago? 

Are you more in self-control than you were a few months ago?

Are you steadfast through the trials?  Are you praying for him to take or give pain?

 

 

My challenge to myself – What do you work hardest at?

work?

Kids?

Parenting?

Ministering/changing others?

 

God speaking through the sermon message of parenting

 

God says: You need to pursue my character, my moral excellence.

 

NOT TELL YOUR KIDS à “Obey me, so you don’t end up like me.”

 

Deuteronomy 6:6 -  “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

 

As we walk and persevere towards excellence, producing fruit, we can explain to them “See?  See his Grace?  See His peace?  That is what He wants for you”

 

God’s word:

 

Focus on BEING the right person, focus on your character. 

 

God wants to give me a fruitful life, becoming who he wants me to be through steadfastness; becoming the man I was meant to be.

 

Keep Still?

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Matthew 8:32-33

 

A sobering thought to you who say:

 

1. It’s not my gifting to share the gospel.

2. Discipling is for the more gifted.

3. It shouldn’t be uncomfortable it should feel natural.

 

Of course then many say, “The way I live my life is a witness.”

 

The truth of the matter is that our best works are like “dog poop” according to Paul. Philippians 3. Best get the word out. A simple Jesus might be better than nothing unless of course its spoken in anger.

 

From my Bible reading Matthew 8