Listen… learn good sense!

God is near to you. He speaks to you continuously. He is trying to reach you through many ways. You have to quiet down and listen. You have to open your mind and you will recognize the truth. God’s word is never twisted or skewed. You need to choose God-knowledge and life disciplines over chasing after money. Then you will realize that God’s wisdom is preferable.

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?

   Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She’s taken her stand at First and Main,

   at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

   where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,

“You—I’m talking to all of you,

   everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!

   You blockheads—shape up!

Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,

   I’m telling you how to live at your best.

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—

   I can’t stand the taste of evil!

You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;

   not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.

You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;

   truth-ready minds will see it at once.

Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,

   and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.

For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;

   nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

(Prov.8:1-11 MSG)

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your persistence and patience with me. I opened my heart to You and You filled it with wisdom and insight. I could never thank You enough. Help me to avoid the traps of wealth and financial problems. Help me to focus in seeking Your knowledge and Your life discipline for me. I love You my God.

Seduced

Seduction is powerful but you will be seduced only if you let seduction overcome you. There are many small decisions that are your responsibility specially at the beginning of the seduction process where you can still stop it. After you give in to temptation seduction takes over progressively and you become blind to reality. You are guided as a goat to slaughter. You may recover your judgment only after, just to feel guilty and stupid. You have to make a decision NOW!: What are you going to do when temptation comes? You have to have a decision before seduction comes. If it is a sexual temptation, run away! Quickly! Don’t linger while temptation becomes stronger.

Soon she has him eating out of her hand,

   bewitched by her honeyed speech.

Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,

   like a calf led to the butcher shop,

Like a stag lured into ambush

   and then shot with an arrow,

Like a bird flying into a net

   not knowing that its flying life is over.

So, friends, listen to me,

   take these words of mine most seriously.

Don’t fool around with a woman like that;

   don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.

Countless victims come under her spell;

   she’s the death of many a poor man.

She runs a halfway house to hell,

   fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.

(Prov.7:21-27 MSG)

Prayer: Thank You God for your power and presence in my life. Help me to be aware of danger and not to fall into temptation. Protect me from evil. I decide not to give in to temptation. I decide to run away from it. Help me to stay strong and committed to You. I will not trust my own strength. I trust in You alone, Jesus, my Lord.

I’ve come to find you

The voice of a sexual temptation: “I’ve come to find you”. It even sounds similar to real loving partner. The difference is that illicit sex is not based on love or a commitment to build you up. Illicit sex is based on unrealistic erotic fantasies. It is a relationship based on sensuality only, a relationship without future and programed for deception. Afterward, frustration is as higher as the initial desires and expectations.

She threw her arms around him and kissed him,

   boldly took his arm and said,

“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—

   today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,

So now I’ve come to find you,

   hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!

I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,

   colorful imported linens.

My bed is aromatic with spices

   and exotic fragrances.

Come, let’s make love all night,

   spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!

My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,

   and he won’t be back for a month.”

(Prov.7:13-20 MSG)

Prayer: Thanks for real love that can endure our whole life. Help me not to destroy this special treasure you gave us. I don’t want to trade short term pleasures for a life long loving satisfaction. You are so wise. Thanks for Your guidance. I am glad I followed You, my Lord and my God.

Loitering

Temptation comes more easily when you live without a purpose in life; in times when you are tired, or frustrated, confused and not knowing what to do. If you don’t plan to have a good life, somebody else will plan something for your life, and it will not be for your benefit. Living an aimless life is a preparation for a fall. Don’t let yourself down. Your life is important. God values it. You should value it too.

As I stood at the window of my house

   looking out through the shutters,

Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,

   I spotted a young man without any sense

Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,

   then turning up the path to her house.

It was dusk, the evening coming on,

   the darkness thickening into night.

Just then, a woman met him—

   she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.

Brazen and brash she was,

   restless and roaming, never at home,

Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,

   hanging out at every corner in town.

(Prov.7:6-12 MSG)

Prayer: You filled my life with good purposes. There is no time to be bored. I am so happy to be involved in meaningful tasks. Thank you Lord. Help me to direct my life in the right direction. Help me not to wander aimlessly in life. I want to live with purpose. I don’t want to waste my time on Earth. I want to honor You always.

To fend off

Learning God’s wisdom prepares you for life. When the  temptation moment comes, you will have the tools to make good decisions. Seduction and deception will victimise unprepared people. You have to work hard to prepare yourself before you experience the pressure to do what is not good.

Dear friend, do what I tell you;

   treasure my careful instructions.

Do what I say and you’ll live well.

   My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!

Write it out on the back of your hands;

   etch it on the chambers of your heart.

Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.

   Treat Insight as your companion.

They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—

   that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

(Prov.7:1-5 MSG)

Prayer: Thank You God for your wisdom. You give the knowledge and power I need. Help me to stand strong against temptations to do evil. Help me not to be seduced by a life without God and without values. Help me to see things clearly as they are.

Lustful fantasy

Sexuality is one the greatest gift God gave to the human couple. It is the intimate expression of love and connection between a man and a woman that love each other. It gives immense pleasure to a long lasting relationship called marriage.

The big pornography enterprise is busy creating tons of sexual fantasies to produce dependent and easy to manipulate clients. Impossible fantasies that people want to make it happen desperately. Pornography is a big lie. It produces multitudes of unsatisfied people, getting bored, wanting more and not getting enough, becoming violent, losing affection, love and respect in their own sexual relationships. Sex becomes just a physical and disconnected pleasure. Sex becomes dehumanized.

They’ll protect you from wanton women,

   from the seductive talk of some temptress.

Don’t lustfully fantasize on her beauty,

   nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.

You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread,

   but a wanton woman may well eat you alive.

Can you build a fire in your lap

   and not burn your pants?

Can you walk barefoot on hot coals

   and not get blisters?

It’s the same when you have sex with your neighbor’s wife:

   Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.

Hunger is no excuse

   for a thief to steal;

When he’s caught he has to pay it back,

   even if he has to put his whole house in hock.

Adultery is a brainless act,

   soul-destroying, self-destructive;

Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,

   and a reputation ruined for good.

For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;

   wild for revenge, he won’t make allowances.

Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;

   neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.

(Prov.6:24-35 MSG)

Prayer: Thanks for the gift of sexuality. Help me to respect its beauty, purity and sanctity. Help me not to be seduced by cheap pleasure. Help me to value and build my own marriage and to contribute in a way so that people will be free from pornography slavery and to enjoy properly this precious gift of sexuality in their own marriage as You created it to be.

Moral discipline is a life path.

If you had parents that gave you guide and sound advice, you have to be thankful. You need godly people to show you the best path of life. You also have to become a godly person to be able to guide your children and others to the right path of life. In the Bible, God gave you all the sound advice, good teaching and the encouragement you need for moral discipline. In Jesus you will find a perfect model, the redemption from your past mistakes, the power for moral discipline and growth, and the hope for a perfect future. The Holy Spirit will guide you in the process. He will assist you in every step of your life.  

Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;

   don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.

Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;

   wear them like a scarf around your neck.

Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;

   whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;

   when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.

For sound advice is a beacon,

   good teaching is a light,

   moral discipline is a life path.

(Prov.6:20-23 MSG)

Prayer: Thank You God for lightening my path in life. 
Thanks for parents and counselors You provided to show me the right path. 
Help me to continue growing as You show me your way in Scripture. 
Fill me with your Holy Spirit now and always to be able to listen and obey You with my whole heart. Nurture my thinking to understand and make wise decisions. 
Help me to be responsible in my capacity to influence others. Help me to share good teachings and model a good life. Help me to share the redemption you offered at the cross so that it may reach many people at the wrong path and give them the possibility for transformation and renewal of life.

Six things God hates

To go down the path of degradation in your mind and life is relatively easy. Going down is always easier than going up. The opportunity to corrupt your life is near you and always waiting for you to be weak enough to make a wrong decision. You have to be aware of your weaknesses and cling to God for help always. This attitude will ensure you don’t deviate yourself from God’s path for you.

Here are six things God hates,

   and one more that he loathes with a passion:

eyes that are arrogant,

a tongue that lies,

hands that murder the innocent,

a heart that hatches evil plots,

feet that race down a wicked track,

a mouth that lies under oath,

a troublemaker in the family.

(Prov.6:16-19 MSG)

Prayer: Help me to be humble and avoid arrogance. Help me to be honest and avoid lies. Help me to respect the life you gave to people. Help me to use my intelligence in constructive ways and not evil. Guard my feet from wicked paths and help me to follow your purpose. Help me to work with passion as a peacemaker. Help me to grow more like You.

Perverse minds

Many people think it is necessary to build a wall to isolate themselves from others. They are willing to build a wall with lies and dishonesty to protect their “secret life”. Don’t do that. If you start accommodating your words to make you look better, you will end up building a total fantasy. Be honest, be sincere, even if it costs you. Being honest is liberating and contribute to your mental health. Holding and defending a fantasy is a stressful heavy lifting. It ends up perverting your mind. The more you add to your lies the more difficult it is to go back to a free, healthy, and honest life.

Riffraff and rascals

   talk out of both sides of their mouths.

They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,

   they cross their fingers behind their backs.

Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,

   always stirring up trouble.

Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,

   a total smashup, their lives ruined beyond repair.

(Prov.6:12-15 MSG)

Prayer: I want to be honest and live in integrity. Guard me from dishonesty. Let me be free and sincere. Let me walk in life without anything to hide. Help me not to build a reputation that is not me. When You bless me, help me to acknowledge You and honor You (and not to think that it is my accomplishment). I want to be able to recognize my flaws and limitations as it should be.

Lazy... ?

To be happy and satisfied with life does not mean to be irresponsible or lazy. While you enjoy life, you have to look closely to your obligations. Make the most of your abilities to prepare and provide for your present and future. Use every time available you have to built, to produce, to bless others. Enjoy your work you do and the profit too.

You lazy fool, look at an ant.

   Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.

Nobody has to tell it what to do.

   All summer it stores up food;

   at harvest it stockpiles provisions.

So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?

   How long before you get out of bed?

A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,

   sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?

Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,

   poverty your permanent houseguest!

(Prov.6:6-11)

Prayer: Thank You Lord for today. Thank You for the strength and inspiration to work and produce. Help me to work responsively. To provide for my family and prepare for the future. I don't want to waste my time on earth. I want to be a blessing to others while I can. Help me Lord.

Don’t waste a minute

There are times when you fail and make deals that become a trap to you. There are decisions or words you have said that will hurt a relationship.  When you realize your mistake you have to act quickly. Humble yourself, ask for forgiveness, recognize you didn't pay enough attention, recognize you were wrong, ask for mercy, don't delay. If you keep waiting and wandering not knowing what to do,  time will pass and the deal will be considered sealed. The words you have said will be considered final and they will do its damage.

Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor
    or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back
    and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.
    You’re in that man’s clutches!
    Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate—
    there’s no time to lose.
Run like a deer from the hunter,
    fly like a bird from the trapper!
(Prov.6:1-5 MSG)

Prayer: Thank you Lord for delivering me from traps and dangerous deals. Help me to understand and be prepared to act quickly when I should. Help me to be humble and ask for help or forgiveness when I do something wrong.

The shadow of your sin

Sins are like an infection or a cancer. It spreads progressively until it overtakes you. You have to take actions from the beginning. Be aware of sin’s consequences.

God knows you, He foresaw your actions and still loves you. He wants you to turn to Him and seek His help. He will give you His hand and you will be free from sin. You don’t have to be dominated by sin. It is your choice. Make a good decision while it is time. Invite Jesus to be your savior.

Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make;

   he’s aware of every step you take.

The shadow of your sin will overtake you;

   you’ll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.

Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;

   your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

(Prov.5:21-23 MSG)

Prayer: Thank You, God, for your love. Thanks for watching over me. Don’t let me be dominated by sin. Help me to be honest, sincere, and disciplined. Make your light shine brighter in my life, for me and for everybody around me.

Drink from your own rain barrel.

A marriage between a man and a woman is God’s way for romance and sexual intimacy. That’s the “well” everybody can drink from (their own marriage). Cultivate an enduring relationship with your spouse you choose when you were young. Never take the relationship for granted. Marriage romance and intimacy is a treasure God gave you, give it care and love diligently every day of your life. Romance and intimacy is like a little plant: if you don’t water it constantly, it will die. Your romantic love needs constant nurture.

Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel,

   draw water from your own spring-fed well”?

It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home

   and find your barrel empty and your well polluted.

Your spring water is for you and you only,

   not to be passed around among strangers.

Bless your fresh-flowing fountain!

   Enjoy the wife you married as a young man!

Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose—

   don’t ever quit taking delight in her body.

   Never take her love for granted!

Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore?

   for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger?

(Prov.5:15-20 MSG)

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the marriage You gave me. It is a costly treasure I should always value. Let me be constant in nurturing this relationship and to become one as Your Word says. I want Your name to be glorified in my marriage relationship, for your glory, for our own benefit, for the benefit of our children and for the benefit of everybody who knows us.