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Captive — 7 Comments

  1. Finally! A weight loss program that works! I need somebody to lock me up in a room with narrow doors till I lose some weight. Seriously, well actually I was already serious about that, but anyway Lillianne, you have really driven home some very important and vital points. Thank you for making it so simple and clear to understand that we do not need to give into temptation and we can trust Jesus to save us from the power of Satan's suggestions.

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  2. We live in such a room don't we? It's freewill and was purchased by the blood of Jesus. He taught us to; "Strive to enter in at the strait(narrow) gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:24 He also said "...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14

    All we have to do is lose the excess "weight" that keeps us from passing through this gate to eternal life. God has given us a chosen fast and it comes with a wonderful promise if we follow it. (Isaiah 58)

    Very interesting historical account with a wonderful lesson Lillianne.

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  3. A well written piece packed with inspiration this makes the lesson less accademic but instead more practical for everyday life. Let me take time to practice what is being taught.

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  4. I am always grateful for a Christadelphian who many years ago tried to convince me that there was no Satan. He said that Satan was really just a personification of evil in ourselves. While he did not convince me that he was right (he was a very gifted persuader), he did give me pause to think about the role we play in temptation and sin. Ultimately it is our decision to sin, or not to do right, and it is no use passing the blame on to anyone else. Blame passing is the approach that Adam and Eve took after the fall!

    We sometimes shroud this decision making in Christian mumbo-jumbo about not doing anything in our own strength, and leaving it all to Christ and so on. Ultimately, however we look at the issue we choose to do what we choose to do. That is how God created us.

    One disturbing issue, is that choice-making is not a level playing field. For example; some people have no problem choosing not to get drunk. It is simply something that never enters their head. For others it is a constant struggle to make the right choice. That is the real evil of sin. It is not fair. There are some people who really are up against it when it comes to making the right choices.

    The strength of the Gospel is that God understands the struggle so that both the struggler and the person without that propensity are saved by his grace, not on the number of times they make the right choice. It is in this environment that the community of believers can contribute; sharing the burdens of those who need to make the tough choices more often. We all make wrong choices and need the healing of forgiveness, understanding and encouragement.

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    • Maurice, I can really relate to what you are saying. I just don't think that anyone is exempt from temptation, we all have our weaknesses. As you very well put it the alcoholic has a real battle with the bottle but he probably doesn't have one with gambling.

      Years ago I worked with a person that had a bad problem with gambling to the point that it was interfering with his job by way of distraction from duty. He was heavily criticized by my boss who didn't have the problem even though he was an alcoholic himself that couldn't stay away from the sauce. Of course my fellow worker had quite a lot to say about my bosses problem but at least he recognized his own and actively worked to curb it.

      I think James said it best. "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" (James 1:13-15 NKJV).

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  5. Hi Lillianne,

    Thanks for this post. I had some good laughs from the story and from the first response.
    One day, many years ago, I went to a big auctioning event with my mother. When we arrived, I saw numerous tables with food on them. The salad tables, the vegetable stations and the entree stations were filled with delicious, fresh looking food. After eating my meal, I went up to the dessert tables-all four of them, and I told myself I could just look. So I looked and then sat down. In a few minutes, I got out of my chair and was back looking at the desserts. This time, I told myself I could take one plate of the most delicious looking desserts I had ever seen, and remember, there were four tables of them. I picked up a plate and filled it with some desserts and went back to my table and ate everything. After a few minutes, I decided to go back to the dessert tables to "sample" a few new items and I filled my plate. I went up a total of four times and filled my plate until I couldn't eat any more food.
    Had my husband been with me, he would have been my conscience. My mom was off somewhere being very busy socializing but she wouldn't have minded.
    That was something that happened many, many years ago. I know the struggles with appetite and how hard it is for some people!

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  6. Thank you for such a well written thought provoking article. This has really shown me that even though we have freedom of choice we still dont see sinning as a choice we see it as the only option. Jesus died and yet we still choose not to loose the weight of sin. May God give us the strenght daily to overcome.

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