Part 1:ย Choices
—Psalms 124 The Lord has broken every snare unless you want to go back
—Proverbs 6:1-5 (((Numbers 14:2, 28)))
—Proverbs 7:6-27
–Dealing with Temptationsโขโขโข
—1 Corย 10:13-14 /v1 – 12 is warningย 
—James 1:14-15
—Be like Joseph when dealing with sin : Gen 39:6-12 (โโPut a distance between yourself and sources of temptationsโโ)
–If your hand causes you to sin…….
—Mark 9:42-49 ((((**What Jesus says about hell versus Jokes/Fun people make***))))
—Matthew 5:27-30 ((Adultery – Deal with the root))
—Matthew 18:6-9 ((((Stumbling Others))))
–At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. [30] But what does Scripture say? โGet rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave womanโs son will never share in the inheritance with the free womanโs son.โย (Galatians โฌ โญ4:29โญ-โฌ30โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ)
–Ref Genesis 21:8 -12 Hagar and Ishmael sent away. NB: This matter distressed Abraham โโ
—Acts 5 Lying to the Holy Spirit
—Proverbs 24:30-34 – Work out your vineyard
–Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (โญโญColossiansโฌ โญ3:5โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ) โโโ
–Death in the pot: 2 Kings 4:38-41
–Christian Living
—โญโญ1 Corinthiansโฌ โญ9:27โฌ โญNLTโฌโฌ – I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
–Galatiansโฌ โญ5:1โฌ โญNIVโขโขโขโฌโฌ – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatiansโฌ โญ5:1โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ)โ
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ย Part 2: Choices###
—Proverbs 24:30-34 – Work out your vineyard
–Hebrews 6:7-8
–Samson’s sins found him out:
โBut if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you MAY BE SURE THAT YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.ย Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.โย (Numbersโฌ โญ32:23โญ-โฌ24โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ)
–1 Kings 18:21, 30โโ
–Joshua 24:14-15
—Deut 30:11-20 (v19**)ย & Gen 2:9, 16-17 – Treeย
ย of Life and Tree of Death
—Hebrewsโฌ โญ12:1โฌ โญNLTโฌโฌ – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
—Genesisโฌ โญ4:6โญ-โฌ7โฌ โญNLTโฌโฌ – โWhy are you so angry?โ the Lord asked Cain. โWhy do you look so dejected? [7] You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.โ
โขโขโขThe Story of Samsonโขโขโข
—Judges 13-16
—Judgesโฌ โญ14:1โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[1] Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
โโโญโญJudgesโฌ โญ14:5โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[5] Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.
โโโญโญJudgesโฌ โญ14:10โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[10] Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men.
โโโญโญJudgesโฌ โญ16:1โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[1] One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
โโโญโญJudgesโฌ โญ16:4โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[4] Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
โโโญโญJudgesโฌ โญ16:21โฌ โญNIVโฌโฌ
[21] Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.
–Eventually, ensnared by LUST Samson LOST:
1). v21 His freedom – was boundโ
2). v21 His vision – his eyes were gouged outโ
3). v21 His dignity – He went to Gaza first time to find pleasure as a mighty judgev1,ย but returned humiliated as a prisoner and a slave. โ
4). His fellowship with God after God’s spirit departed from himโ
5). His Ministryโ
–1 Corinthians 10:11 & Romans 15:4 explains why this story is in the Bible – so that we can learn from the past.
–How to deal with Sin–
Romans 7:17
” *Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”*
Sin dwells in me.
Sin holds me under its authority.
Sin, a living,active forceful and dynamic power that has man under its sway.
Sin is beguiling.
Sin is enticing and deceitful.
Sin is a personality; Satan.
Whoever commits sin is slave to it and alsoย lawless.
Sin is lawlessness.
God admonishes Cain about sin
“…. *sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire* , *and thou shalt rule over him* .”(Gen 4:6_7)
Sin is the force that drives this world.
This driving force eminates from the devil.
It motivates conduct involving flesh and mind.
The psalmist once said *,”For innumerable evils have compassed me about* : *mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, *so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me* .”(Ps 40:12)
Sin destroys innocence.
Sin destroys ideals and will.
Sin promises what it cannot deliver.
Sin produces slavery.
*But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.ย *Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.* (James 1:14_15)
Yes, you’re lured and enticed into grave through your sinning.
True followers of Christ do not recklessly and habitually violate what their anointing has planted within them.
Those who do habitual sin have neither seen Christ nor known him.
They are not genuine Christians.
” *If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness* .”(1Jn1:9)
Jesus appeared in order to take away sins,
He came so that sin might be forgiven .
That it might cease to exercise its tyrannical bondage.
A reminder that โGod is lightโ , and his Son embodies his sinlessness.
Jesus dealt with the sin on the cross at Calvary by shedding of His blood to cleanse us from sin.
He gave His life as a ransom for us .
Christ died on the cross for our freedomย from sin. “…… *but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish* .(Lk 13:3)
Part 3
ยฐยฐFREE yourself from every SNARE (A concealed Trap) ยฐยฐ
1. Snare of Debts
โขโขSolomon advised his son to free himself from the trap, snare or folly of debts by all means. Debts makes one a slave of the lender.
“My child, if you have put up security for a friendโs debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a strangerโif you have TRAPPED yourself by your agreement and are CAUGHT by what you SAID โย follow my advice and SAVE YOURSELF, for you have placed yourself at your friendโs mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.ย Donโt put it off; DO IT NOW! Donโt rest until you do. SAVE YOURSELF like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” [โญโญProverbs 6:1-5 NLTโฌโฌ]
2. Snare of Lust
โขโขThough Samson was anointed as a Nazarite from birth; anointing doesn’t eliminate personal responsibility (Judges 13:5). He kept going DOWN STEADILY as a joke against his parents advice (Judges 14:3)โขโข
–โญโญSamson went DOWN to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.(Judges 14:1)
–One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. (Judges 16:1) **Gaza is DOWNHILL of Jerusalem**
–โญโญ Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the VALLEY of Sorek whose name was Delilah. (Judges 16:4 )
โขโขEVENTUALLY because of his DOWNHILL trends, he was completely inside the SNARE.
–Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him DOWN TO GAZA. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. โญโญ(Judges 16:21).
โขโข โญโญHebrews 12:1 talks of THROWING OFF everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, interrupting our race to eternity.
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SIN: Your Sin Is Never Private
โNone of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.โ Romans 14:7 (NIV)
Sin may be secret, but itโs never private. It will either come out now, here on earth, or at Judgment Day, but itโs going to be known.
Numbers 32:23 is one of the scariest verses in the Bible: โYou may be sure that your sin will find you outโ (NIV).
Another reason why sin is never private is because everything you do, good or bad, affects other peopleโeven if they donโt know whatโs going on.
A lot of people will say, โWhat I do with my life is no one elseโs business. As long as Iโm not hurting anybody, why should anyone else care?โ But you are hurting other people. God made us to be connected people, and what we do and say always has an effect on others.
Sin affects you in ways you donโt even realize, and then your actions affect others. When you sin, it cuts you off from Godโs power and keeps you from your potential. It limits the good you can do and the impact you can have.
Isnโt it sad to think of what you and others are missing when youโre not at your God-given best? There is only one way to move past the sin that holds you back and hurts others: Confess it.