 Good morning. Good morning Lucy and good morning everyone. How are all of you? So you've been enjoying the study from this book, Playing Axe to Roots. Yes. So what have you laid the axe to so far? To self? Pride? Jealousy? Yes. Oh, Chira is online. Chira, they're saying that you will ask questions so we'll anticipate some questions from you. But good to see you Chira. Yes, good morning to you as well. And to Aruna. Thank you Aruna and Lucy. Good morning. Okay, so we are going to lay the axe to the root of lust, right? What is lust? What is lust? Sister, lust is desire of the flesh. Thank you. Lust is a desire of the flesh. Okay. Anyone else? Lust is basically something that is uncontrollable, unreasonable, excessive desire. It can be a passion, it can be earning, it can be a craving for something, okay? Something that you want, it's a yearning, a craving. Till you have it, till you have more of it, till you get it, till you want what you really are looking for or you are desiring. And that is lust, okay? If you look around our world today, we can see a lot of, you know, the way of the world is following the lust of the ice and the lust of the flesh. Okay, there's a craving to fulfill the desires of the flesh. So the way of the world is, you know, whatever makes you happy, whatever makes you joyful, whatever makes you feel good, just get it, just do it and enjoy yourself. So that is the way of the world. So if you look at Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1, 2 and 3 and 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 4, it says that, you know, there is corruption and moral decay in the world. The world is corrupted, there is moral decay that means morality, our minds and our thinking, you know, there is a lot of moral decay. You just look at the newspaper, there is a lot of, you know, nude images of women and men poorly dressed. If you look at any advertisement, any billboard signs which shows advertisement, everything is talking, has a sexual connotation. It has something to do with the lustful, fleshly desires, even advertisements, movies, serial. You just go online to search something on the internet and here pops up all of these, you know, unwanted things, unwanted sites, which can, you know, easily entice us and can drag us away. So this is the way of the world and it's getting worse by the day, you know, sometimes it's even terrible to look at the newspaper because, you know, the newspaper that we get, one of the newspapers that we get, you know, they can show women dressed up in nice clothes, but they will show them, they show images or pictures of them poorly dressed up, you know, revealing most of flesh. And sometimes it's so, you know, disturbing to keep those newspapers even in our center tables, in our hall where we entertain people because of the kind of material and images that we have, whether it's in magazines or even the newspapers. Gretude, can I ask you to please mute your mic? Thank you. Okay. So the way of the world is to follow the fleshly desires and we read this in Ephesians chapter two verses one, two and three. And second Peter chapter one was four. And it says that now since we have been, you know, we were of the world, all of us when we were living in sin. And we live like the people of the world in uncontrollable excessive lustful desires and pleasures. But now since we are part of the kingdom of God, you know, we can resist all of these things. And second Peter chapter one was four says that we have God is made of way and what is the way he has made for us to overcome this corruption and the moral decay that is in our world today is, you know, he has given us his precious promises in his word. Okay. So his word is, is our light is our guide enables us strengthens us to overcome the corruption and the moral decay in the world today. I'm on page 68 so in following your books as well. Now is desire wrong? Is it wrong to have desires? No, it's not wrong to have desire. It is good to have desire. The Bible also talks of us having, you know, how that is good to have desires. We need to have desires, you know, to desire more of his presence, his power, his word. And as we read in Psalms chapter 37 was for this as delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart and proverb chapter 10 was 24 says the desires of the righteous will be granted. Okay. And Mark chapter 11 was 24 says that whatever you ask for in prayer believing you will receive what you have asked for so the Bible does not tell us that not desire. We can desire. We can long after things. Okay. But it is important that we have good desires. It's important that we have godly desires and not have unhealthy and wrong desires or passions that as controlling us controlling our minds our emotions and our lives. Okay. So, why is it important for us to have godly clean pure good desires. Why is it important for us. Why is it important for us to have godly pure good desires. It's what God wants. Okay. Thank you. Look at what James chapter one versus 13 to 16 says, you know, it says how are we tempted or when are we tempted. Look at James chapter one 13 to 16 was chapter page number 68. Okay, 62. Okay, this is I think the new version 68. When are we, you know, why is it important for us to have godly desires. What if we don't have godly and right desires what happens. Yes, we are tempted. Yes. Right. So, when does temptation happen. We have claimed Satan for our temptations. Right. But what does the word of God says that we are tempted when we are drawn away from our own desires. It's not your neighbor's desires. It's not your parents desires. It's not your the world's desires. It's not even Satan's desires. But when are you tempted you're tempted when you are drawn away by your own desires. Okay, so how does desire come about in our lives when we desire things. It's when we watch something or when we see something. Right. So, when we just watch read the newspaper or we just watch or see a billboard sign or we watch an advertisement, a desire is stirred up in our heart, or we are reading something or we look at something. You know, something that is unholy something that is not right, even when it pops up on on our internet, when we're searching the internet or we are, you know, browsing the net, something just pops up and there's a desire we want to know and we click on that we go into it. And so what happens is we are drawn away by our own desires. Also, you know, a Satan can just put in a thought, an imagination, a longing and idea just one idea and one imagination one thought, and that kind of builds up that kind of stirs up our desire for wanting more and more, and then it becomes something that is uncontrollable something that we cannot control. And you know, those wrong desires actually weaken our will, it weakens our mind or emotions. And then we just get drawn away and we give into it, and then we are not able to resist temptation. Okay, so all Satan does is just plant a thought and idea imagination and get you to see something, and you're dwelling on it you're just thinking about it. And you know that becomes an uncontrollable desire or a longing and a passion, which weakens your will which means you cannot stop from doing it, you want it, you have a craving. Until you get it, you don't stop and then it becomes more and more of that. And your desires come to a place where no longer your will or your mind is able to control you, but it's your the simple wrong passions or desire that controls you. Now the Word of God, in one John chapter two verses 16 and 17 talks about two kinds of lust. Okay, what are the two kinds of lust in one John chapter two verses 16 and 17. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. Okay, and the pride of life. Okay, so these three things that is very dangerous that we need to guard ourselves that we need to protect ourselves. So what do we mean by the lust of the flesh. The last of the flesh basically means you know gratifying our sinful desires gratifying our sinful bodily desires. What does the last of the eyes mean. What does the lust of the eyes mean. Yes, wanting something that you want have what you don't have wanting something that you see wanting something that you, you know, that you want. You need not possess it but you just desire to have it you want it because you have seen it, and you just are longing for it. Okay, so we look at some of the manifestations or the expressions. So whether we have this, the last of the eyes and the last of the flesh in us. So if you have the last of the flesh in my in in us, how does it manifest or how does it express itself through us or how is it seen in us. I hope us can be seated here and say or you know wherever you are joining online and say hey I don't have the last of the flesh. I don't have the last of the eyes, maybe have a little pride but that's not going to hinder me, but we will look at various manifestations or expressions. And, you know, even as I call them out, you know, I want you to see whether it's it's it's there in your life. And if it's there that means you are being controlled by the last of the flesh. And, you know, you can just pray and ask God to help you and to overcome it. Okay, so we look at some of the manifestations of the last of the flesh, what is the root of lust. So the first one, the last of the flesh is, you know, uncontrollable desire for substances, it can be alcohol, it can be small, you know, drugs, cigarettes. It can also be chewing tobacco, some of them, you know, think that it's okay to chew tobacco, it's not, it's an uncontrollable desire for the substances which is a lust of the flesh. And the word of God also says that, you know, an uncontrollable desire for food, you know, if you have an uncontrollable desire for food, it's also the lust of the flesh. Now you might be surprised about it, but if you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 12 to 13, it talks about, you know, food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both it and them. And it says, now the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Okay, so it's, it's good to eat food. You know, it's good to desire to eat good healthy food. It's good to desire to eat what you long for, but you know, when food becomes a craving, a desire more than your desire, your passion to follow God to do what he has purpose and will for your life. Now let me give you an, an example, an example from, you know, the Israelites, when the Israelites when and we read this in, in Psalms chapter 78, verses 14 to 32, the Israelites when they were traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land, you know, they crave for the food that they ate in Egypt, they crave for melons and cucumbers and fish, and they were complaining and grumbling and murmuring against God that here in the desert, they're not getting anything to eat and God provided them mana. Okay, heavenly food. And we read this in the same chapter in Psalms chapter 78. And we see that, you know, when they crave for meat, it, the word of God says they were actually testing God in their heart. Look at Psalm chapter 78, verses 14 to 32, it says, and they tested God in their heart. And they asked these questions, can God prepare a table in the wilderness for us? Can he give us bread? Can he provide meat for his people? And when the Lord heard this, he was furious, he was very angry with them. Okay. And we see that God gave them what they desired. God gave them what they were longing for. He said, you want it? Take it. This, you know, you can have it. Okay. So we see that the Roth, when even as they were, God just provided meat for them. And even as they were enjoying that meat that they were craving, God's anger fell upon them. And you know, some of them were struck down dead. And look at what another chapter in Psalms chapter 106, verses 9 to 15 says, it says that they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness. They were lusting after all of these things. And what happened was they tested God in the desert, and God gave them up to their requests. So God said, you want it? You have it? You know, it is sad that these people were actually enjoying the glorious presence of God, the glorious move of God. They were right in the center of fulfilling God's glorious plan, His will, His divine purpose for their lives, even as they were journeying from Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But instead of, you know, desiring more of God, more of His presence, instead of desiring what God wanted them to do here, they were craving for food. And that is why God was so angry. And God gave them what they desired. But also there was punishment that was there. Okay. People are has raised his hand. So people is it okay if I can ask, let you ask your question during the end of the class, is that okay? Sorry. Oh, he mistakenly raised his hand. Okay, fine. Okay, we'll continue. Okay. So we see that, you know, it's important for us to desire to eat the right kind of food but not a craving where it comes to a place where it takes over our, our passion and a desire from following God following his purposes and doing what he has desired for our lives. Another second manifestation of the lust of the flesh is compulsive habits or desires. Okay. Now, for some of us, we, we, we love to sleep. You know, it's good to sleep seven hours, six to seven hours a day is good for our heart health, our wholeness. But for some of us, we desire to keep sleeping more and more for some of us it can be 12 hours, 10 hours of sleep that we want. And that is another manifestation of the lust of the flesh. For some of us, it's important or necessary that we have to watch a movie in a week, at least one movie in a week, even if you can't make it to two or three. You know, you have to watch one or you know, you crave for movies or the weekend, you watch back to back movies, Saturday or Sunday, because you say it's your rest day, your break day and you can do what you want. You have to entertain yourself, entertainment is important for the mind. But that is a lust of the flesh. For some of us shopping, you know, we have to go shopping, we have to buy something at least once in a week or twice in a week or a month. And that is also a compulsive habit or desire. And, you know, for some of us, we want our spouses or we want our parents to keep on buying us good expensive gifts we want to indulge in expensive things. And all of these, you know, compulsive habits or desires are a manifestation of the lust of the flesh. And whatever controls us, whatever, you know, holds us as bondage, or, you know, we become slaves of that and that becomes an addiction. And that means we are addicted to what to that so whatever you can be addicted to some some of you say hey I'm not addicted to alcohol to wine or smoking or drugs, but you can be addicted to sleeping you can be addicted to indulging in eating all the time. You can be addicted to shopping or watching movies and that is also a manifestation of the lust of the flesh. Look at what's proverb chapter five verse 22 says he says that in his own inequities and trapped the wicked man and he's caught in the cause of his sin. Okay, so sin holds us in bondage in slavery and that becomes an addiction. Look at what Jesus says in John chapter eight was 34 he says you know, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Okay, so we need to be careful of these subtle things that can entice us that can hold us in captivity in bondage in stronghold and can get us away from the plans and the purposes of God as simple things as shopping as eating food craving for food and also watching movies. The third manifestation of the last of the flesh is sexual perversion. Okay, our sexuality is created by God. Sex is something that is holy is pure. It is something that God created. It's not something that's dirty and unclean, but it's something that's holy and pure created by God ordained by God. But in the context of marriage. Okay, so sex in marriage is holy is pure is clean is is ordained by God and will bear food because it is something that God desires for us. But you know, sex outside marriage or you know unnatural sexual acts or unnatural sexual pleasures or passion is something that God did not desire and is unacceptable before God. Okay, so we are living in a world where homosexuality and all of this is becoming legal. You know people are coming out and the churches their pastors or homosexuals. But you know, and, and all of these people say that hey, this is natural this is how God created us to be this is not something that is unnatural. This is not a perversion, but this is how God created us. But the word of God says that homosexuality is not something that is natural. It's not something that is created by God. It is totally unacceptable by God and we read this in Romans chapter one verses 18 to 32. Okay, and we see we read in verse 28 of Romans chapter one that says that you know they did not choose the men of the world. You know, the people of the world did not choose to retain God in their knowledge and because they did not choose to retain God in their knowledge. They gave them up over to a debased mind, which means a mind that is does not accept the truth. It rejects the truth, it accepts lies. It does not accept what is right, it accepts what is wrong, that is a debased mind, and a mind that you know the lies and the wrong is good, is healthy, is what God has for us. And so we read here in Romans chapter one verses 18 to 32. Since the people of this world, you know, did not accept or choose to retain the knowledge of God, what did God do? He gave them up to their own thinking and pleasures, just like he did for the Israelites when they prayed for meat, he said he wanted to take it. And so here also he does this to the people of the world. Okay, you want it, you want to indulge in it, you're refusing the knowledge of the truth that I'm revealing to you, then you take and you have what you want. And what happens when we do that is our minds become darkened. And then we are able to look at lies as though it's truth, things that are not created by God unnatural as something that is natural. And we think that it's normal for us to do it and that is the way we have been made or created. And the Bible calls this as sin. And you know, every kind of sexual perversion, immorality, premarital sex, sex, outside marriage, adultery, homosexuality, incest is all something that is unacceptable by God and it's sin and God cannot stand it. And it's not normal and it's not something that God has designed or planned for his people or for the people that he created. Okay. Now there are other forms of sexual perversion that is a fantasizing sexual experiences. It's not necessary that you are engaging with somebody else or with another partner with your spouse, but you can just be seated in a room you can be seated on the in the bus you can be seated in the train. You're driving whatever or you're just watching TV, and you can have all of these sexual perversive perversive thoughts just running through your mind like a movie. You are not doing it but you are engaging in that. And that is also unacceptable. And that is also a manifestation of the lust of the flesh and also sexual pleasures you might not be having, you know, physically having sex with your spouse, you know, but sexual perversion masturbation that some of them indulge in all of these are the manifestations of the lust of the flesh. And this is something that is going to destroy your life already corrupting your soul, corrupting your emotions, your mind, your spirit fan. And this is not that is that's not pleasing in God. Some of us, you know, nobody can read our minds. And some of us think nobody knows what we are thinking. You know, but God sees our minds. He knows the Holy Spirit is living in us because our bodies are the temple of the living God, and the Holy Spirit is greed, you know, when we indulge in these things. And so God may be laying a finger on some of us who are engaging in this is not necessarily just men or young men, but it's also women who can, you know, sexually fantasize, have, you know, these sexual pleasures and these thoughts, just like a movie that runs through our minds. And this is something that is not pleasing in God's sight. And even as God is correcting us, or laying his finger on each one of us, we need to just, you know, come to a place where we're saying God, the sorry, you know, please help me to overcome this, because I know this is not of you. I've been enjoying this. But God, my body is the temple of the living God where you dwell. And this is something that grieves your heart, that breaks your heart. God just cleans me and wash me with your blood and fire from above. Okay, so all of these, which I just mentioned pointed out listed out are the manifestations of the flesh. Now we look at the lust of the eyes, the manifestations of the expressions of the lust of the eyes so how do you know whether you are lusting in your eyes. Some of them is, some of the manifestations is pornography. You know, some of us enjoy looking at images or movie clippings, or, you know, that's freely accessible and available in the internet or whether it's magazines or books or whatever, you know, or for pornography. All of these images and movies that is has sexual connotation sexual perverse images and movies, you know, we enjoy looking at it. And that is the lust of the eyes and it's already, it's also freely available on our, on our mobile phones. You know, maybe some of us are indulging in that and God is telling us this morning that this is not pleasing. This is going to corrupt your soul and draw you off what God has planned, and also breathe the heart of God, even as he dwells in you. One thing manifestation of the lust of the eyes is filthy thoughts and immoral fantasies. So we can, like I said, you know we can have lustful thoughts and moral fantasies. You know, when you just look at things when you look at movies that is why it's important for us not to keep watching movies, because all of these movies have so much of all of these sexual connotations. Everything that is the lust of the eyes, the lust of flesh played out for us with our very eyes and it's all stored in our subconscious mind, and when our minds are quiet that kind of replays in our minds. And so it's important for us to even, you know, just stop looking at whether it's newspapers or videos or images or even movies, you know, so that we can overcome the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the word of God tells us in Philippians chapter four verse eight, that you know, what are the kind of things that we need to think, we need to think thoughts that are true, that are noble, that are right, that are pure, that are lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy and the word of God says such things you need to think about or meditate on such things. So whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, think about such things. So how do you have a control over your thought life? If a thought comes popping up in your mind, you need to ask yourself, is this true? Is this right? Is this pure? Is this noble? Is this admirable, excellent, praiseworthy? And if it's not, you know, just dump it, chuck it out, you know, bring every thought captive under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and say, God help me with this thought, you know, I just nullify it. I just erase it in the blood of the Lamb and this thought has no control over my mind. For some of us, it's fast, you know, we have a fascination towards looking, looking at good men or women. For us men, some of us, you know, the lust of the flesh is can we are always, you know, looking at handsome men, you know, wherever we go, we are trying to spot handsome men, trying to look at them and fantasizing, thinking things in our mind. Also for men, you know, you look, you go anywhere, you know, walking on the street, you're looking at women, you're looking at, you know, just them in not a pure way. And so if that is something that is controlling you, then it's the lust of the eyes and you need to ask God to help you overcome that. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew chapter five verse 28, he said, but I say to you over looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery in your heart. So Jesus is saying, hey, Old Testament adultery was, you know, when you commit, you know, adultery in action. But here the New Testament, he has grace is more freely available, but even as grace is more freely available, there's a higher standard that God is taking us to and what is that higher standard. Even if you look at a woman lustfully, you've already committed the act of adultery. It's good as adultery. Okay, and covetousness, the third manifestation of the lust of the eyes is covetousness when you desire something that somebody else has and the word of God says in Colossians chapter three was five that it is a covetousness is idolatry. What is idolatry? Worshipping idols, right? So some of you say, hey, I don't bar down to any idol, but then you can have different idols in your life. You're lusting up to women that can be idolatry or lusting after watching movies that can be an idol. You are lusting after, you know, food, sex, career, sports, you know, any form of worship, anything that can become an idol can become an idol. An idol is something that comes between you and God, takes the place of God, something that you desire more than God and look at what Jesus warns us in Luke chapter 12 verse 15. We said to them, take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses. So Jesus is telling us and warning us, you know, take heed, beware of covetousness. Another manifestation of the lust of the eyes is the desire for money, power, fame, position and influence. Now, all of these things are okay in its own place. It's okay to, you know, work hard to get money to have power to have fame, position, influence. These are all tools. But, you know, once it becomes an uncontrollable affection and uncontrollable desire, then these becomes the lust of the eyes. Okay. And this is what caused the first sin. This is how sin came into the world. It was to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. And you can ask me how, you know, in the garden when Satan just put a thought in Eve's mind, but look at what it says in Genesis chapter three. It says, you know, when Eve saw the fruit, she saw it was good for food. It was pleasant to the eyes and is desirable to make one wise. So good for food is the lust of the flesh. Okay. Pleasant to the eyes, the lust of the eyes. Okay. And desirable to make one wise is the pride of life. So these three things is what caused the first sin and can also cause us to sin. Okay. So all of these things, money, fame, position, all is good in its own place are tools, but should not become excessive and uncontrollable where it takes over our lives. Next thing is worldliness. You know, we're attracted to the things of this world. We are in the world, but we need to be off the world. We live in the world, but we live as kingdom citizens, not desiring the things of this world because James chapter one verses one to four says that those who are friends of the world are enemies of God. So if you love the world, the things of the world means you're not a friend of God, you are an enemy of God. That is what the word of God says. You know, if we are enemies of God, we cannot please God, you know, life becomes futile, we cannot express experiences, blessings is fullness, there's no joy, there's a lot of pain and sorrow. Another manifestation of the lust of the eyes is greed. Greed is an intense desire for more. We want more and more and more. Like what First Timothy chapter six verse 10 says, it says, for the love of the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. So is money wrong? Is earning for getting money wrong? No, we have to earn, we have to work hard. The word of God admonishes us tells us that we need to work, need to earn so that we satisfy our needs, not our greed. We satisfy our needs and we're not dependent on others, but it's not satisfying our greed. So sometimes, you know, we can come to a level where we want more and more. You have a car, but you want a bigger car. You have a house, but you want a bigger house. You know, you want more wealth, you want more success. You have a church, you want a much bigger church, you want a ministry, want a bigger ministry, and don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's not wrong to desire to have a bigger house as your family grows. Or if you want to have a bigger car so that you can take all of your friends and your neighbors to church, that is good. But you know, just being very self-centered and selfish is not, is the root of, or the love of money, which is the root of all evil. So it's good to earn money to satisfy your need and also to bless others and to extend and to give into the extension and the building of the kingdom of God. So that should be our motive for making money so that our needs are met, so that we can bless others like the early church, they sold everything, they came and gave it, and those who are in need were helped. And it also helped in the extension of the preaching of the gospel or the kingdom of God. Okay, so money and all that we do with our money should be tools for us to preach the gospel and get soul saved and to build the kingdom of God. Okay, now we look at the last thing, youthful lust. Second Timothy chapter two was 22 says, we need to flee from youthful lust, and what should we pursue? It says pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Okay, so, you know, some of you are young here, you are so used to, you know, television, movies, playstations, internet, you know, you get into chat rooms, chat with people. You know, all of these haves is place, but some, and you know, when it becomes very excessive, it becomes dangerous. And, you know, why do we need to take a chance? Because these are things that can get us addictive can make us in bondage in slavery to it. And finally, we can become addicted to it. So, you know, flee from youthful lust, flee means what? What does flee mean? To run away. Okay, it means if I say, hey, there's a fire in this building, what will you do? You're not saying, hey, let me take my book and my Bible and my bag. What will you do? You just run, right? You won't even look whether you're, you know, you, you're some of you are wearing one tupples on your footwear and the other one is out. You won't even bother about that. You just run for your life. And that is what we need to do, flee from things that you know, hold us in bondage and in slavery. Now, what are the consequences of all of these lusts that we have, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh? It chokes the word of God. Okay, you can go to church, you can say, you can worship, people can pray over you, but nothing will have an effect because these lusts are choking you. And that is what, you know, the parable of the sewer, you know, the seed that falls on among tons is worldly things is, is something that chokes you, that hinders the word of God from, you know, telling you what is the truth, and you will continue to believe the lies because you are not able to accept the truth because all of these lusts choke the word. Lust also brings bondage. We become a slave of the things that we are addicted to or in bondage. Look at what Romans chapter six verse 12 says, it says, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies. You should not obey it. What does Romans chapter six verse 16 says, you know, do not know that to whom you present yourselves, you present yourselves as slaves to obey it. You are that one slave to whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness. So if you become slaves of, if you're yielding to sin, we become slaves of sin, and we are not obedient to righteousness. Also, lust can bring destruction to our souls and our bodies. It corrupts our minds, you know, the fleshly desires and the lusts of our flesh and eyes. It wars against our mind, our souls, our wills and our emotions. And that is why some of you can't concentrate. You see, I find it very difficult to concentrate. My mind keeps wandering. One of the reasons why your mind keeps wandering, you can't concentrate, even when you're reading the Bible, even when you're praying, your mind wanders off is because of, you know, the lust that you've opened your heart and your mind or your whole self to, you know, some lustful pleasures, whether it's of the flesh or of the eyes. And so, you know, we need to be careful. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 18 says, every sin that a man does, he does outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality, immorality sins against his own body. So, when you commit all of these sins, you are violating your own body, and you need to know that your body is a temple of the living God, and you're violating it when you are involved in sexual immorality or anything with sexual pleasures, any other things that you are indulging in. Okay. So, we need to know that these lustful pleasures that come into our mind can be demonically energized. Okay. It can also be because they are wounded in our spirit. So, some of you are coming from a broken relationship, divorce, or, you know, you lost a loved one, you're devastated, you've gone through a lot of heartbreak. Maybe also, you know, you have gone through financial problems, difficulties, people have disowned you, used you, abused you, and these wounded spirits can also give an entrance to lustful pleasures that can take control of your life. So, and it can also yield to addictions like smoking, drinking or drugs. So, we need to ask God to, you know, heal us in our spirits and in our minds and, you know, if you're grieving, if you're broken, ask God to heal us in the areas of our heart and mind. Some of the lusts can also be demonically energized. You know, there are unclean spirits that can produce immoral lifestyles. There are perversive spirits that can lead us into all perversions, sexual perversions. We read this in Isaiah chapter 19, verse 14, where God says, you know, he releases the perversive spirit and that gets the people of Egypt into more sins. So, they're perversive spirits. It's not that God sends out the perversive spirit. It's God removes his hand of protection. And when he removes his hand of protection, these demonic perversive spirits take control over us. Okay, there can also be a spirit of bondage that, you know, keep us in bondage to sin and addictions. There are also spirits of disobedience. We did this in Ephesians chapter two, verse two, which caused us to disobey God and rebel against the truth. There are also spirits that conform us to worldliness. First Corinthians chapter two, verse 12, so all of these spirits are spirits of impurity, seducing spirits, are all demonically energized. And when we open the door a little, these demonic spirits come in control, be in control and, you know, make us slaves and we are in bondage. So, can believers be in stronghold and in bondage? Yes, believers can be in stronghold and in bondage, but believers cannot be possessed demonically because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, a body is a temple of the living God. But yes, we can, you know, have strongholds in the areas of our mind and our emotions, and that darkens our understanding from the truth, from the light, and we begin to embrace the lies and we begin to live the lies, which can be very, very dangerous. Okay, and that is when all of these sinful lustful pleasures take control of us. So how do we break free from the power of lust? We need to receive the truth, believe the truth. What is the truth that our bodies are the temple of the living God, and God is holy. He wants us to come to a standard of holiness. Okay, and also be holy in everything that we do, what we watch, what we say, what we think, where we are going, what we are looking at. Sometimes, you know, we were walking on the street and we look at an advertisement, it has something dirty. We can choose to look at it or we can choose to turn away. So we can ask God to give us the grace and the strength. We can also confess and repent and renounce our sins. We also make no provision for the flesh. Okay, for example, if, you know, you go on the Internet and you are surely going to click on those sites, you make yourself accountable to somebody else, you know, or you watch, you see Internet when families are around or in the office set up where people can see what you're watching, make yourself accountable. There are books, magazines, newspapers, you know, you can just throw it away. If you want news, you can just listen to the news on TV, or you can just hear news on the radio, whatever. Don't give excuses. You know, say, because of news, I got into all of these sites, you know, I got into television, I got into watching wrong things. Don't make excuses. You know, Jesus said, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, the eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It's not like literally doing it, but it says whatever causes you to sin, sever yourself from it. Cut yourself away from it. Get yourself away from it. Okay. And so you need to do some practical things. Refuse to lust after women and men. So if you're somebody who desires to look up to beautiful men, handsome men, sorry, and beautiful women, you know, look at them just turn away your eyes, you know, be content with what you have. First Timothy chapter six was success. Godliness with contentment is great. Again, be happy with what you have. Be satisfied because God is going to bless you. You're not going to live in poverty or lack. He will give you what you desire, what you need, what is best for you. You know, deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Like it says in Timothy, Titus chapter two was 12 live soberly, righteous and godly. And the last thing is Psalms chapter 19 verse 36 where it says, you know, incline your heart to your testimonies, which means incline your heart to the word of God and get rid of all covetousness. You know, get rid of all covetousness. You know, incline your heart to suppose you're listening to music, which is worthy, you can tune in to listening to worship songs. You know, if you are caught up in reading books or watching movies, you can listen to the word of God, you know, audio, or you can read the word of God. You can, you know, make a change in your lifestyle, a lifestyle that is honoring God and pleasing in his sight. Okay. Sorry, I had to rush through it because there's a lot of content and I didn't want to miss out on anything. Anyone has any questions before we pray? Any questions? Online students, any questions? Okay, if there are no questions, let's just bring you have a question. Okay, there's no questions. Let's just pause for a word of prayer. Okay, this is the time between you and God. Maybe you are at the right time, the right place listening to this. The Holy Spirit is turning our hearts up, pointing fingers, placing the finger at things in your life that is not pleasing and honorable to God. Whether it's a lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes, you know what you have been watching, you know, your lifestyle, you know what you've been indulging in. Maybe this time you just want to say, God, I've been living an immortal life, a double standard life. I've been going to church, part of the Bible college, but there are areas in my life that I know is not pleasing, is sinful. Whether it's your thoughts, the sites that you're going to, the things that you're watching, wrong relationships, sexual fantasies, sexual passions, adultery, in a relationship which you have been enjoying, sex out of marriage. Say, God, I come to this place where I just want to repent. Say, God, please forgive me. Plants me, God. Plants me and wash me. I know I've grieved your heart. I've broken your heart. Holy Spirit, I know that I have grieved you. And say, God, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Say, God, I make you the Lord of my life over every area, over my eyes, my desires, my passions, my mind. Come take control. Be Lord over it. Help me, God, not to go back to my old ways. Help me to live a life that is honoring and pleasing and worthy in your sight. Help me not to nail you back then on the cross. But when you look at me, God, may you be pleased with my life and everything that I watch say, do you think, may you be pleased? We thank you for hearing our prayer. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you everyone for joining class. See you all tomorrow.