WASTING MY TIME PART 2

​

EPHESIANS 5

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Sixthly, it leads to violence.

Now this generally relates to video games, but it can relate to TV, Internet and the cell phone, all of which are outlets for violence.

Research has shown that the average American child has seen many murders by their teenage years.

There are two especially violent video games on the market, one is tomb raider and the other is grand theft auto, both are violent, indeed one encourages people to be a member of the mob and to shoot people. Another encourages people to pick up prostitutes, is this what you want your children to be watching?

Games likes commando and war games only encourage violence, no wonder there are more shootings, not just in the USA but in other countries, many of the people who do these acts have been isolated loners, who have lost contact with reality.

Seventhly, this applies to Christians. Playing cell phone doesn’t aid your spiritual growth.

Can you tell me spending hours on cell phone/Internet surfing/video gaming encourages your spiritual growth?

Most Christians spend less than 10 minutes per day in prayer. What a disgrace!!!

Muslims pray five times a day, they are worshipping a false God, but their devotion is three to four time greater than Christians, who worship the true God.

Maybe this is why the world has not been reached, the world is burning, people are dying and the Christians are busy.. not praying, not studying the bible, not reaching the lost, they are busy fiddling with their cell phones, watching rubbish on TV or playing their favourite video games.

They say, we need rest and relaxation, yes you do.

Go. and do some exercise, spend time with your family, find a way to serve the Lord, get off the couch and stop filling your mind with rubbish.

A word to parents, you may think I am being over reactionary. I have written this in response to a sister in our church, who is at her wits end because of her teenage son who becomes violent when his cell phone is taken away and he is told to stop video games.

I have seen six to seven year olds have a tantrum because their cell phone is taken away.

Robbie Williams, the British pop singer, has said his children, would be denied cell phones to protect them.

Now that is drastic, if your son or daughter, has a cell phone, you must have filters on it, to stop them viewing bad websites that can be harmful.

To pastors, if your church can afford it, please purchase some internet filters and give it away for church members to place on their electronic devices.

Parents, you need to be proactive, if your child is spending more and more time on their own and if their mood is changing, you need to be aware of this.

Men need to lead in the home, they need to lead in family devotions, I know in China, that many sisters are the only believers in the family. You need to teach your child, you can purchase internet filters in China, please research these, some indeed are free.

Pastors need to train up couples about this subject, they need to help couples have godly homes.
。

Another killer is the TV, years ago, I got rid of my TV, I was laughed to scorn by many in my church, this may be an option.

Let me say to men, you need to get off the sofa and onto your knees, this is too urgent to ignore.

Finally the children of Israel conquered the promised land and then within one generation, they were walking away from God, why because the next generation was allowed to drift by elders who didn’t teach them?

Please be aware of the dangers of all kinds of electronic media, they can be used for good, but they must be controlled.

Parents and Pastors, you need to be aware, in this two devotions, I have sought to wake you up.

I pray that I am not:

WASTING MY TIME

God bless you
KK

EPHESIANS 5

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

WASTING MY TIME

I wonder if you are like me, the time I waste on worthless stuff on my cell phone is uncountable.

Now cell phones aren’t the only problem for people today, there are also video games, which seem to have taken over millions of young people’s lives.

Many people not just in China, but across the world are trapped for hours in a cycle that cannot be broken by human means.

Now there are programmes that can help, but they can’t get to the root of the problem and that is Sin.

Now are there good points about Cell phones/video games:

Well cell phones allow us to use apps that are very useful, to make secure payments, to travel safety and to pay bills. The cell phone has many apps that are useful.

Video games are beneficial as your hand and eye coordination will certainly improve and they can be educational.. well one or two can.

So what’s so bad about these technological marvels:

First of all, they are time wasting thieves.

I know this from my own life, I can spend time checking on websites or looking at things on you tube, and I look at the time and an hour has gone by.

We need to realise that every minute we have is a precious gift. I am now nearing 70 and I look back at my life and wonder how much time, I have wasted looking at worthless stuff on the internet or cell phone, but I can’t have that time back, I wish I could.

In Ephesians 5:16, we are told to redeem the time, literally to buy it back. So how do we do this:

Instead of using our time to play the video game or surf the internet, use that time for something that is worthwhile.

For the Christian, this means taking time to spend time with God in prayer and bible reading.

The more time we do this, the less attractive the video game/cell phone becomes.

When was the last time you turned off your cell phone and computer and got your bible and notebook and did a bible study on your own, asking the Lord to open his word to you?

When was the last time, you spent an hour in prayer with the Lord, just pouring out your heart to him？

Now I realise that some people who are reading this, who aren’t Christians, so my first plea to you is this.

You need to come to God in repentance and faith, because you can’t deal with these things on your own. If you come in faith, God will forgive your sin, give you a new heart and enable you to deal with these addictions.

If you as a teenager are spending hours on your cell phone or playing vide games, be warned.

You think that you have all the time in the world, let me assure you, time goes so quickly, it seems like yesterday, that I was at school and everything was new, but now that time is gone, please don’t waste a second. Don’t live with any regrets.

Find a hobby that doesn’t involve the cell phone.. do exercise, many young people who constantly play cell phone/video games have obesity issues.

PSALM 119

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Secondly, what are you putting into your mind?

What you listen to, look at and play online stays in your mind.

Once junk is ingrained in your mind, it will stay there. You see the Christian has to be refreshed and renewed by the word of God.

Romans 12

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Daily meditation on the word of God, will allow your mind to be cleansed of all the junk, my cell phone has a junk feature, if I let too much junk build up on my phone, eventually the phone will not run properly, likewise if we are constantly putting junk into our lives, our minds and eventually our bodies will begin to suffer.

Great verses to concentrate on are these:

Psalm 119

37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
。

So we must turn away from wicked things, but what must we turn them to.

Every time you go on your cell phone and view a website, ask yourself these questions based on this verse, is it pure, true, honest and virtuous.

Philippians 4

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Thirdly, people who have addictions start off slowly, every alcoholic started by drinking a sip of beer or wine, once addicted it holds you captive and it gets worse.

So it is with people who are addicted to video games/internet pornography, each of them start off slowly, it’s just one video game, it’s just one website and you end up spending hours and hours on these things.

Your whole life is taken over completely by this desperate need to play this or that video game, to achieve the top score at that game.

The people who play these games need this to gain security, a security that can only be gained through Christ.

Fourthly, video games are not reality.

Today, there is virtual reality, but it is not real life.

It gives the player an artificial sense of achievement, the player thinks he has security and achievement, but as I have said, security can only be found in Christ.

Why are you seeking security, a sense of belonging on your cell phone/video game console, you will never find it there.

Jeremiah 2

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Fifthly, it causes isolation and break up of relationships.

Many teenagers spend hours on their video game console, they don’t stop to eat meals, they don’t even stop to converse with parents. Their whole life is the video game console. The first thing they go to in the morning is their video game, the whole house is controlled by the game console.

Family meals/family time/family conversation is blocked out because the children are spending time playing the current craze.

Part 2 soon

PSALM 42

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation[c] 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore, I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN?

 

I suffer from depression.. does that shock you, the biggest unseen killer in the world, there are millions who suffer silently from this, millions have suicidal thought every day, just like me, yes, I have thoughts about taking me own life, they flit in and out of my head sometimes, sometimes they stay for a few seconds, sometimes for longer.

So, I am writing this, for one reason, not to tell you about my depression, but about the one who despite it all, gives people victory over this terrible pain and agony, I want you tell you about my God. The God of David in Psalm 42 is MY GOD. He is the only one who can heal the scars of depression.

What are my scars, well my childhood was characterised by bullying (school) and neglect (my parent’s job), thanks to God he saved at age 16, but pain continued. Let me tell you everything was not others fault, my parents were great, they were just busy, my dad died at age 20. I did not help myself, I caused some of my own problems, in my 30-40’s, I had prolonged periods of being unemployed, and this led to me being on Cipramil 15mg tablets and being virtually addicted to them for the best part of 15 years.

I haven’t touched them in seventeen years and marriage to Helen has helped me beyond words, her love and understanding have supported me. I can’t say that my depression has completely gone, I have and continue to have days that are beyond awful, days where my anger flares and where memories of my past completely torment me.

Like many people in the bible, especially Elijah, as in Chapter 19 of 1 Kings, he was found depressed sitting under a juniper tree, he was touched by the Lord. All people who suffer from depression needing a touch from the Lord, to all of you who suffer from depression, it is only God who can touch you. It will not be a one-off touch, it will be a continual touch, fighting depression is a daily battle. So how can we overcome it.

By remembering that God is greater than depression, in 1 John it says greater is he than he that is in the world. God’s power and God’s faithfulness are two of God’s attributes to especially hold onto during times of depression. Remember that God has brought you through it before and he will do it again.

Remember, what Jesus has done for you on the cross, he has saved you and is transforming you. He has justified you, read and make personal such verses as Romans 8:35-39. Make every promise of God personal to you.

Ask God to fill you with his Holy spirit every day Ephesians 5:18, manage your time correctly Ephesians 5:16 and put on your spiritual armour Ephesians 6:10-18.

Saturate yourself with the word of God, renew your mind with God’s word.

Psalm 119 and Romans 12:1-2.

Listen to the word of God on your phone, computer etc. Listen also to good and edifying praise music. Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5

Find a good bible believing church that has people who understand and also preach the whole counsel of God

Draw near to God…come to God and share your heart with him, tell him all your heart, what is bothering you.  Then leave it with Him.. Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1 Peter 5:7

Fill your mind with good things Philippians 4:8-9, remember God’s mercies and grace Lamentations 3 and psalm 103.

Forget or try to forget your past, remember your past has been forgiven by God. Psalms 32, 103 and Philippians 3

All the above are helpful, but here is the one thing that will help you above all others,

SEEK THIRST, PANT, DESIRE and RUN AFTER GOD HIMSELF

Finally, in verses 1 and 2, we have the antidote to spiritual depression and that is to seek and thirst after God himself

You cannot and will not suffer from depression if your soul is focused on seeking after and thirsty for the living God, because in him is found fullness of joy.

HOW DESPERATE ARE WE FOR GOD?

Are you as desperate as David was?

In him, lies every blessing we have read Ephesians 1:3-14. Read and saturate your life with the scriptures, but come to well like in Isaiah 55:1-2 and buy without money and without price.

。

Your depression will be powerless, under the power and authority of the living God, seek him, thirst after him and then you will be free.

Remember that depression is not of God, we allow depression to come into our lives, to be depressed is not of God, it is of your flesh, because it puts the focus on you and not God.

I pray what I have shared will help you as we walk together in God’s grace.

I often sit under the juniper tree, if you do, ask God to touch you, focus and seek after him.

God bless you

Keith

1 Thessalonians 4

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[b] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body[c] in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 

THE SECRET THAT NOBODY SHARES

This is probably the hardest devotion, I have ever written, it is brutally honest. I pull no punches with myself and share openly with you.

Paul is writing to a young church, a church that is surrounded by sexual promiscuity and perversion. Sound familiar, we think we are bombarded by it today, but there were literally hundreds of temple prostitutes, sex was readily available and on show in this place.

Young men in those times could have their choice of the slaves in the household, sex was the norm in these places. It paraded itself on every street corner, it was brazen, it did not hide itself.

The words Paul speaks to the church here,  apply directly to us, things haven’t changed, nowadays we have perversion all over the net.

Purity was God’s call to the church and it is his call to us today, we are called not to live like the world, but many believers, especially men are trapped in sexual impurity, fornication, pornography and other deviant behaviour.

In the epistles that Paul writes, most of the churches are set in places where pagan worship was the norm and where terrible sexual practices were rampant. The worship of temple prostitutes was rampant, young believers were exposed to all kinds of perversion. If you were a young man in these places and a Christian, you could have the pick of the servants to be your sexual pleasure, but like Joseph, you have to get out and run from these evil practices. Genesis 39 and Proverbs 7

Here is my confession, I too was in bondage to sexual impurity, even though I was going to church and being a good church member, I was trapped in bondage to a particular sin, it wasn’t porn by the way, if you wish to contact me, I will tell you

I grew up in a home, where sex was not talked about, when I asked about it, I was directed to a book, not the bible. I had no girlfriend till I was over 40 and this made me feel sexual inadequate. Everyone around me is getting married, what is wrong with me?

Things went from bad to worse, a failed marriage didn’t help, this thing was silently killing me, these things that I am sharing are silent killers to our Christian walk and witness.

If you have suffered from any kind of sexual deviance, there is hope for you and it starts with you coming to the foot of the cross, not once, but daily. Are you going to fail?, probably, it is about a daily dying to self.

How did I overcome this terrible sin:

To overcome this, we must come clean with the Lord, we must be like David in Psalms 32 and 51. We must openly confess our sin, before Him.

First of all, we need to acknowledge that these things, all sexual deviances are wrong in His sight. It is a sin against our body.. oh yes,  we are abusing our body, but it is a sin against God and him alone, against you and you only have I sinned Psalm 51.

If you are involved in viewing porn, you need to burn all your porn material and wipe the drive of your computer clean, if married, then be honest, with your spouse, repent in front of them.

Secondly, we need to realise that there is mercy and forgiveness available for us, oh yeah there will be consequences because of your sin, but we need to be also reproved of our sin. Hiding these things only leads to more moral failure. If you need an accountability partner, then get one or even join a group. Talk it through with Godly men in your church and your pastor.

If you are a pastor, involved in such things as watching porn, you should examine yourself and ask, should I be in ministry?

I heard a sermon, which stated that 30% of all pastors are viewing porn at least once per month, 10% of women view porn once per month. The pulpit is infected with this, if you as members of  a church know your pastor is committing this sinful lifestyle, he must be lovingly confronted.

Thirdly, God calls us to holiness, he calls us to a life of purity, the words to the Thessalonian church are still relevant today. Don’t you think that this church, had problems with sexual sin?.  Paul spent time there, he knew the city, he knew the circumstances. But in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, we are to live as light and salt, and not to follow the world. 1 John 2:15-17

The devil constantly will seek to remind you of past sins, remember, once confessed and repented of, that sin is remembered no more, it is as far as the east is from the west, the devil has no right to remind you, he is a liar and what he tells you is false. Psalm 103

Do you know of people involved in this, you need to lovingly confront them, if they are true believers, then hopefully they will respond, if not go with others who will confront them and then if no response, expulsion from the church, may be necessary, as with the man in the Corinthian church.

Six years ago I went to a men’s conference, all these things were exposed and shared openly by men who were broken by the power of God’s word. One brother, who I thought I knew well, confessed in our small group, that he had been trapped for many years in these things, he then shared it with his girlfriend, now his wife and they are now very happily married, she was shaken by his confession, but choose to stand by him and love him.

We must be prepared to let the light of God’s word shine into our hearts, we must let his word constantly challenge us, especially in our secretive thought life Hebrews 4. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus says that looking with lust is wrong, even to look, the standards of the bible and God are sky high. Matthew 5:27-30.

You may be in bondage to these things and yet you say, I can’t let go of them, Desperate times call for desperate measures, look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5:29-30, not to literally cut off your hand, but if you are watching porn channels, then remove them from your computer/phone, cut the other woman out, if you have engaging in illegal sexual relations, this also means to young people, sexual relations before marriage is not acceptable. Purity is the key to blessing.

If your girlfriend/boyfriend wants to indulge in sexual relations, before marriage, you need to ditch him/her.

Remember that Jesus went through all these temptations and has defeated them, he has overcome all these things, you have the victory believer. Hebrews 2

There are many people trapped in bondage to a variety of sexual sin, is it easy to get out of, the short answer is No. Do I fall to the sin that once trapped me, sadly I have yes, but there is freedom and victory, it comes at a cost, but it is worth it.

There was victory for the Thessalonian church, look at what is said of these believers in Chapter 1 of this epistle, they were an example to the rest of the churches.

Let me say that thank God, I have never viewed porn, but many others have, let me tell you, there is victory.

In Revelation 2:18-29, we have the church in Thyatira, a church deeply involved in sexual sin, a church polluted by sexual sin. To this church, Jesus tells it that he sees everything, he has eyes like a flame of fire. God sees everything.

Remember the next time you click on that pornographic image,  sleep around or get involved in something that is sexually immoral, that you are being watched by the one, who has the eyes of flaming fire.

If you are a believer, you need to stop and respond to God’s call for purity, there is no excuse, there is victory, but it does come at a cost, you may have to smash your computer hard drive, burn your books like the Ephesians did or even lose friends.

You need to clean house and this starts with open confession before God and then men and you need to put something, in its place. As I said above, that is God himself, only when he meets you can you find true release.

Feast your eyes on God and him alone, spend time with him, like I said in the first study on depression, it is only, we fall in love with Him, can we fall out of love with these disgusting and evil sexual practices, that being hurt to the heart of God, but praise his name, he does forgive and he does completely heal and restore.

I hope and pray that you are released from the secret that nobody shares and find your freedom in Christ.

God bless you

Keith