Steve Webb: Now it truly is its own pandemic.
This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and coming to you
from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004. I am your
OG God casters Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast where we are
reading through the entire Bible in a year. Welcome. If this is
your first time, I'm so glad you found us. Welcome to the
Lifespring family. Yeah, that's right family. There are no
listeners. Here. We have family, the Lifespring family. I hope
you like what you hear today. And then you'll be back again
and again and again. If you are new, let me explain quickly that
on Thursdays we read from the section of the Bible called
poetry on Fridays it's prophecy Saturdays, the Gospels, Sundays,
the epistles, Mondays, the law, Tuesdays history and Wednesdays
we read from the songs. Since today is Thursday, we'll read
Proverbs five through six and after reading, I'll have some
comments. I'm calling today's episode, no longer a slave. The
show notes page for today's episode if you'd like to leave a
comment is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 169. So are you
ready? Let's begin.
Proverbs chapter five.
My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my
understanding that you may observe discretion and your lips
may reserve knowledge for the lips of an adulterous drip
honey, and smoother than oil is her speech. But in the end, she
is bitter as Wormwood, sharp is a two edged sword. Her feet go
down to death. Her steps take hold of she'll, she does not
Ponder the path of life. Her ways are unstable, she does not
know it. Now then, my sons, listen to Me and do not depart
from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her. And do
not go near the door for house or you will give your vigor to
others and your years to the cruel one in strangers will be
filled with your strength and your hard earned goods will go
to the house of an alien and you grown at your final end when
your flesh and your body are consumed. And you say, How have
I hated instruction and my heart spurned reproof. I have not
listened to the voice of my teachers nor inclined my ear to
my instructors. I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the
assembly and congregation. Drink water from your own cistern and
fresh water from your own well, should your springs be dispersed
abroad streams of water in the streets? Let them be yours alone
and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed and
rejoice in the life of your youth. As the loving hind and a
graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be
exhilarated always with her love. For Why should you my son
be exhilarated with an adulterous and embrace the bosom
of a foreigner for the ways of a man or before the eyes of the
Lord, and He watches all his paths. His own iniquities will
capture the wicked and he will be held with the cords of his
sin. He will die for lack of instruction and in the greatness
of his folly, he will go astray.
Proverbs chapter six.
My son if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given a
pledge for a stranger. If you have been snared with the words
of your mouth, have been caught with the words of your mouth. Do
this then my son and deliver yourself. Since you have come
into the hands of your neighbor, go humble yourself and importune
your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your
eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunters hand
and like a bird from the hand of the Fowler. Go to the anto
sluggard observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief
officer or ruler prepares her food in the summer and gathers
her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down? Oh
sluggard when will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep,
a little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest.
Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an
armed man. A worthless person. A wicked man is the one who walks
with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with
his feet, who points with his fingers, who with perversity in
his heart continually devises evil who spreads strife.
Therefore, his calamity will come suddenly, instantly he will
be broken and there will be no healing. There are six things
which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him.
haughty eyes, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to
evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife
among brothers. My son Observe the commandment of your father
and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. Bind them
continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you
walk about they will guide you. When you sleep. They will watch
over you. And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the
commandment is a lamp in the teaching is light and reproof
for discipline or the way of life to keep you from the evil
woman from the smooth tongue of the adulterous do not desire her
beauty in your heart nor let her capture you with her eyelids.
For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread
and and adulterous hunts for the precious life. Can a man take
fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a
man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is the
one who goes into his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will
not go unpunished. Men do not despise a thief if he steals to
satisfy himself when he is hungry. But when he is found he
must repay seven fold. He must give all the substance of his
house. The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking
sense. He who would destroy himself does it. wounds and
disgrace he will find and his reproach will not be blotted out
for jealousy and rage as a man and He will not spare in the day
of vengeance. You will not accept any ransom nor will he be
satisfied though you give many gifts.
Alright, beloved, just a heads up if you're listening to this
with children. Solomon's teaching today on adultery in
chapter five is very closely tied to the concept of
pornography. And I will be discussing that topic in this
episode. So if you don't want tender ears to hear now would be
a good time to skip forward a few minutes. I'll be starting in
321. All right. Solomon's teaching on adultery in chapter
five is especially timely in today's world of easy to access
pornography. Remember, Jesus said that even if you look at a
woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery with
her. So if you think that you're okay in this department just
because you haven't had an actual physical adulterous
affair, think again. And ladies, by the way, this applies to you
as well. Let's be honest here, folks, pornography is everywhere
today isn't it seems like every time you turn around your eyes
are confronted with sexual images. I'll get to that in just
a moment. Now concerning hardcore porn with a COVID
lockdowns, it's been estimated that online porn sites are
seeing double the traffic they had before the lockdowns before
COVID porn use was already an epidemic. But now it truly is
its own pandemic. You might be saying, but Steve, I don't look
at that stuff. I don't look at hardcore porn. I'm glad to hear
that. But you don't have to be looking at hardcore images of
people doing the deed if the images you see cause you to lust
for you. That's porn. Let's be frank. Men especially are
aroused through the eyes. But women can be to advertisers know
that and they use it don't they? May I suggest an easy way to
shortcut their efforts. And this is something that I've been
doing for years, I've made a covenant with myself with my
wife and with God, that when I'm confronted with provocative
advertisements, I won't look at it. I avert my eyes. Now back to
the hardcore stuff. The Internet is a marvelous tool, except when
it's misused. And unfortunately, it's all too easy to find
pornography if you're looking for it. In sadly, Christians are
not immune to the lure. A few years ago, I found a study done
by proven men ministries in conjunction with a Barna Group
that revealed the fact that in some datasets, Christian men
view porn more than non Christian men and Christian
women are viewing porn to I'll have a link in the show notes
page to that study if you'd like to look at it. The bottom line
is this study shows that even Christians can be caught up in
porn. You might be saying so what's the big deal? Porn is
just a victimless vise, isn't it? Well, is it? One of the
world's most used porn websites has been investigated for
allowing porn on their platform, when you call them victims. And
many of the people in the other videos that don't have children
are still not willing participants. They're actually
victims of modern day slavery. Yes, slavery, actual slavery.
The children and the young people in these videos are
victims beloved, and the damage being done to them emotionally
and spiritually is very real. And the damage is in many cases
permanent. Their lives are destroyed. And for what?
Make no mistake, pornography is evil. It's not a victimless
crime. There are very real consequences. Beloved, listen to
solid advice here in Proverbs, there are consequences to your
behavior. You might think it's a harmless diversion, you might
think that it's secret, but there are very real victims and
it won't remain a secret. Porn has a way of permeating your
life. And if you don't quit it, there are victims even closer to
you than the people in the videos yourself, your spouse,
your children, your friends. And get this scientists have found
that pornography actually changes the brain and not in a
good way. The Guardian reported that quote, the Cambridge
University neuro psychiatrist, Dr. Valerie Boone, has recently
shown that men who described themselves as addicted to porn,
and who lost relationships because of it, develop changes
in the same brain area, the reward center, the changes in
drug addicts, I'll have a link to that article in the show
notes page at Lifespring media.com/s 12 V. 169. And I'll
also have a link there to show you how to block porn on your
home network or on your individual devices, computers,
tablets, phones, whatever. And this method is free on the show
notes page. Has porn been? Or is it a problem for you? Or someone
you know? Would you like help with it? Write to me at Steve at
Lifespring media.com. I'll pray with you and I'll offer any help
I can. Folks, this is an epidemic that is having terrible
consequences in the church today. We need to take control
and you can't take control. If porn has a grip on you must
understand that it is not your master. If you're a believer,
then you are not a slave to sin. Romans six three through six
tells us or have you forgotten that when we were joined with
Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death for we
died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father.
Now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with
Him and His death. We will also be raised to life as he was. We
know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so
that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer
slaves to sin. Beloved, you might feel as if the addiction
to porn is made you a slave. But if you have Jesus in your life,
there is a way out. If you need help, it is available. Comment
on the show notes page at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 169.
Tomorrow we'll read Ezekiel seven through 12.
On this date in church history, February 17 1889. Billy Sunday,
the baseball player turned to preacher made his first
appearance as an evangelist in Chicago. He preached
fundamentalism, he supported temperance, and he opposed
scientific evolution. And more than 100 million people heard
him preach in his lifetime.
Let's pray shall we? Our gracious heavenly father how
good it is to be yours. You are holy and righteous in jest. And
Lynn wave received Jesus as our Savior, you are merciful and oh
how we need your mercy. So often, Lord, even when we know
the right thing to do we just do the opposite. Like the apostle
Paul, we confess I am the worst sinner of the mall. And yet
because of Jesus shed blood, you forgive us. Oh, Lord, thank you.
I pray that you would continue the work you started in each one
of us. Father, I pray that You would bless the Lifespring
family today. For those who are hurting, I pray that you would
be their healer, show them your love. May they lean on you and
receive comfort from the Holy Spirit. I pray this in Jesus
name. Amen. Beloved, send in your prayer requests and praises
at prayer dot Lifespring media.com.
Comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 169.
Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. And please, I need
your support at Lifespring media.com/support Until
tomorrow, may God bless you originally. I'm glad you were
here with me today. It's great seeing your smiling face. Thank
you for sharing your time. My name is Steve Webb. Bye