Today's Passage - Romans 1:24-27

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Romans 1:24-27   "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  ...Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."   When God let you do whatever you want, you should be terrified because people can easily gave in to shameful lusts.  We are tempted by pornography daily and we can easily fall into the trap of lust through news media or publications.  When these people fall into the trap of pornography, it will become a constant bondage, and you won't be able to come before God if you sense of guilt inside.  That is the time you need to look upon His help; don't let God give up on you and don't give in to sin, and don't stop asking God to give you strength.   Sometime you might feel powerless and hopeless, but don't be despair because it is a spiritual warfare.  When Daniel started to pray, God heard him starting the first day, but God didn't save Daniel till the 21st day.  The trap of lust is often beyond the control of our rationality; extramarital affairs usually begin with a loving relationship, but ends with hatred, and the wound that they cause are often must worse than what we can imagine.  If you are in such a miserable situation, you need to turn back to God and ask for more strength.  As long as you turn back to God, God will listen and forgive you.  Also, in the modern society, one night stand is an easy trap for the working people.  We often feel that if we don't need to bear any responsibility; why not give it a try?  After a while it becomes a habitual bondage, and you'll go seek out opportunities for one night stand no matter where you go, and thus degrade your own body.   Finally, there's the trap of homosexuality.  Nowadays, many people are afraid of coming out of this sinful closet.  Paul clearly pointed out the sin of homosexuality, and there are also people with homosexual tendency in the church.  You must come before God and ask God to help you to break such bondage.  It is the Lord's will for you to depart from the bondage of sin.  While the Lord rebukes sin, He loves sinners, so if you need help, you should find a minister to pray together with you.                                                                        Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I especially pray for those who are in the trap of lust, may the Lord cover them with your precious blood, cleanse them and fill them with your power of resurrection.  In the victorious name of the Lord and by the power of resurrection of the Lord, I rebuke all bondages of lust so that they will receive true freedom in Christ.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!