Following a LORD A Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Following a LORD Keyword: "lord” Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Matthew 7:24-27* 24. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. 25. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. 26. "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. 27. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall." Questions 1. What does Jesus claim will happen to the one who follows His teaching? To the one who does not follow His teaching?   2. What would you think about someone today who said similar things?   Practical help Jesus is the Lord. Period. His genealogy (descended from Kings), miracles (over sickness and nature), authority over demons, ability to forgive sins, loving nature, and teaching all validate His claim to be the sovereign Lord. Unfortunately, people who live in democratic nations often don't know quite what to do with a lord. I am one of those people. I'm used to voting my leaders in and out of office every few years. Writing as an American, I am more prone to see myself as "over" my governmental officials rather than vice versa. That is not the way it is with Jesus. The Bible tells us that He is coming back. And when He returns, He will not be coming back to head up the executive branch of a democratic government. He will be coming back to rule. Why? Because, again, He is the Lord. This lord has set down His requirements for behavior, and those requirements include sexual purity. His people don't vote on His policies, nor do we have the prerogative to violate them with impunity. Dealing with the lord Jesus means that we obey Him, without question and without hesitation. The battle against an addictive craving for Internet porn may be fought in a number of different ways. One very important battle-tested strategy is to remember, in the moment of temptation, that there is a lord in Heaven who has bought you with the price of His blood and who has given commands for purity that are to be obeyed. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. ----