The Hidden
Jesus -Man in the Flames
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I was born in Sodom. Our American culture has become so obsessed with sex that no matter where I go, sexual temptations and images are thrust upon me. When I went with my church to clean up a poor widow's yard, I raked up a Penthouse magazine from among the leaves! When I went to my Pastor's office for prayer meeting, some magazines left on the table beside me were filled with fashion photos of semi-nude women. When I rented a robot cartoon for my seven year old son, we both were startled when a scene appeared of three cartoon ladies splashing nude in an outer space sauna! When my babysitter turned on a family video for our kids, what showed up on the TV was a very sexually explicit X‑rated movie, because someone had rerecorded over the family video and forgotten to change the label! |
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The fires of lust now burn seven times hotter in our society, and we Christian men and women are being thrown into that blazing furnace, just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego were over three thousand years ago. Daniel 3:19‑21 Even under the best of circumstances being thrown into a furnace is an automatic death sentence, but those brave men survived even though it was made seven times hotter, and what made all the difference between life and death was Jesus came and walked with them in that furnace as The Man in the Flames. Daniel 3:25 |
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The church of my youth tried to protect me and my generation from the raging fires of lust by handing us garments of fear. They tried to scare us into purity, but it didn't work. All they did was send us into the world's furnace wearing paper clothes of rules and forbiddings. Since that time I have seen various of my spiritual friends perish in the intense heat of sexual sin, and I have watched my own paper clothes burst into flames, even though I practically memorized every fearful warning about lust and sexuality that the Bible had to offer. It wasn't until I began to suffer third degree blisters of my own that I learned that fear tactics will never succeed in producing a pure and holy people:
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I have desperately wanted to stop the fires of our society, but we learn from the story of the Three Hebrews that our God is actually willing to let them burn seven times hotter! Therefore, I cannot expect to escape the furious assaults of sexual temptation that are literally exploding out of hell into our homes and our lives. The only thing that saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego is for Jesus to come and walk with them as The Man in the Flames. Fortunately our Jesus is willing to do this, because "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:17 To survive these fires you must learn to practice the presence of Jesus as The Man in the Flames. I have found it to be very beneficial during times of temptation, struggle and even failure to cry out in prayer "Lord Jesus, where are you right now in my life? What are you doing? How do you feel about me? Reveal yourself to me and show me the Way of Escape that you have promised." |
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As I have spoken this prayer to our Loving God, He has shown me glorious and comforting inner visions of a Living Jesus who "never leaves me nor forsakes me." see Hebrews 13:5 If you want to survive in this furnace of America's unrestrained lust, then let this prayer become your own. And get rid of your worthless robes of fear, shame, guilt and condemnation, and instead be "clothed in the Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians 3:27 It is only the personal and intense reality of his asbestos love that can save you! And be prepared to literally see Jesus appear to you in your spirit, and to be seen by your own spiritual eyes. It is when he comes and reveals himself to you personally and in very reality, that he becomes to you a life-giving Jesus, when he appears beside you as "The Man in the Flames." |
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