The meaning of lust

Mat 5:27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.‘
Mat 5:28 “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust¹⁹³⁷ for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

From the Strong’s Concordance:

G1937
ἐπιθυμέω
epithumeō
ep-ee-thoo-meh’-o
From G1909 and G2372; to set the heart upon, that is, long for (rightfully or otherwise): – covet, desire, would fain, lust (after).
(emphasis added)

I’ve been meditating and praying through Matthew 5, and the Lord is showing me the link between lust, adultery and idolatry. When we look at a person or an image to lust, we are worshiping that image, we’re setting our hearts upon that image or person instead of the Lord. Epithumeo comes from two greek words, epi, which means upon, and thumos, which means passion, or literally, “breathing hard.”

Overcoming the world

 Jhn 16:33     These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Rom 12:21     Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1Jo 2:13     I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him [who is] from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.
1Jo 2:14     I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him [who is] from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
1Jo 4:4     You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1Jo 5:4     For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.
1Jo 5:5     Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Rev 2:7     “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ‘
Rev 2:11     “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ‘
Rev 2:17     “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives [it].” ‘
Rev 2:26     And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations–
Rev 3:5     He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Rev 3:12     He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And [I will write on him] My new name.
Rev 3:21     To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Rev 17:14     These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those [who are] with Him [are] called, chosen, and faithful.”
Rev 21:7     He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

The fear of the Lord

It’s funny… Today (friday afternoon), I went over to a friend of mine at work, and I told him, “You have to help me, I’m almost beginning to think that I’m a good person.” He said, “Uh-oh,” and we spoke about the fear of the Lord, and the understanding that we are fallen man who has been graced with this unbelievable opportunity to seek out the heart, ways and knowledge of God. (I was speaking about pride; If we have Christ dwelling within us, then the good Person will be manifest within us.)

I listened to the Friday night Encountering God Service at IHOP earlier, and I was really gripped with the fear of the Lord, and concern about what direction my life is really going.

The part that grabbed me the most was this testimony by Mike Bickle:

In my encounter in the Spirit (Oct. 78), Jesus said, “You are saved but your life was wasted.” I protested, “You have the wrong person.” The idea came to my spirit that it is impossible to manipulate Jesus. I cried, “Can I have another chance?” The idea came that is appointed unto a person to die once then comes the judgment (Heb. 9:27). I wept with a profound sense of loss and regret. Then suddenly I was awake being on my knees by my bed. What matters most about our life is what Jesus thinks when our eyes meet. I must fear “regret” more than anything else.

And this wonderful scripture:

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
I Corinthians 3:11-15

I had to really pray about what the Lord wanted to do with my life, and align my heart with His. It was an awesome thing to think that after a life of “serving” Him, one could arrive in heaven scorched, with nothing to show for 60-70 years of life. The thing that really troubled me about Mike’s testimony was that He said that even in that point of His walk, he was very diligent about seeking the things of God and having a life of prayer — so we can see that even a person with a very sincere and real life in God is in dire danger of having all wood, hay and stubble/straw.

I pray that we all will contemplate the word of God and the fear of the Lord, and seek direction for our life as long as we have it. Another thing that he said during the service was:

Our works follow us but not all of them. Some leave no lasting value. We do not need to put off proving our work to the future. I pray, “Lord, shock me now, do not wait until then.”

I hope that we will have open hearts to be able to receive a shocking command from the Lord.

The official notes from the session are here.

Lust

0518 and all is very well on the Nightwatch

Here are some scriptures on lust, in case we forget what the Bible says about it (let us not forget)

Pro 6:25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
Pro 11:6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by [their] lust.
Eze 23:11 “Now although her sister Oholibah saw [this], she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.
Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Rom 1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
1Cr 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
1Th 4:5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Jam 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet* you do not have because you do not ask.
2Pe 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.
2Pe 2:10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. [They are] presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.
1Jo 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The knowledge of God

0433 and all is well on the Nightwatch

“knowledge of God” is the most awesome query I’ve ever punched in to a bible search engine. Here’s the results:

Pro 2:5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Hsa 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD [brings] a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.
Hsa 6:6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable [are] His judgments and His ways past finding out!
1Cr 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak [this] to your shame.
2Cr 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

That’s just awesome. It makes me think of an incredible song by Misty Edwards, “Something bigger’s going on,” where she sings,

“fill me with the knowledge of God,
with the knowledge of You,
with the knowledge of the Holy, Holy!”