Free Yourself

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 Temptationsโ€ขโ€ขโ€ข
1 Corย  10:13-14 /v1 – 12 is warningย โš ๏ธ
James 1:14-15
—Be like Joseph when dealing with sin : Gen 39:6-12 (โœ“โœ“Put a distance between yourself and sources of temptationsโœ“โœ“)
–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? โ€œGet rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave womanโ€™s son will never share in the inheritance with the free womanโ€™s son.โ€ย  (Galatians โ€ฌ โ€ญ4:29โ€ญ-โ€ฌ30โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ)
–Ref Genesis 21:8 -12 Hagar and Ishmael sent away. NB: This matter distressed Abraham โœ“โœ“
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. (โ€ญโ€ญColossiansโ€ฌ โ€ญ3:5โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ) โœ“โœ“โœ“
–Death in the pot: 2 Kings 4:38-41
–Christian Living
โ€ญโ€ญ1 Corinthiansโ€ฌ โ€ญ9:27โ€ฌ โ€ญNLTโ€ฌโ€ฌ – 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.
–Galatiansโ€ฌ โ€ญ5:1โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ขโ€ขโ€ขโ€ฌโ€ฌ – 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. (Galatiansโ€ฌ โ€ญ5:1โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ)โœ“
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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:
โ€œBut 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.โ€ย  (Numbersโ€ฌ โ€ญ32:23โ€ญ-โ€ฌ24โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ)
–1 Kings 18:21, 30โœ“โœ“
–Joshua 24:14-15
Deut 30:11-20 (v19**)ย  & Gen 2:9, 16-17 – Treeย ๐ŸŒฒย of Life and Tree of Death
Hebrewsโ€ฌ โ€ญ12:1โ€ฌ โ€ญNLTโ€ฌโ€ฌ – 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.
Genesisโ€ฌ โ€ญ4:6โ€ญ-โ€ฌ7โ€ฌ โ€ญNLTโ€ฌโ€ฌ – โ€œWhy are you so angry?โ€ the Lord asked Cain. โ€œWhy 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€
โ€ขโ€ขโ€ขThe Story of Samsonโ€ขโ€ขโ€ข
Judges 13-16
Judgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ14:1โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[1] Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
โœ“โœ“โ€ญโ€ญJudgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ14:5โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[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.
โœ“โœ“โ€ญโ€ญJudgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ14:10โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[10] Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men.
โœ“โœ“โ€ญโ€ญJudgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ16:1โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[1] One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
โœ“โœ“โ€ญโ€ญJudgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ16:4โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[4] Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
โœ“โœ“โ€ญโ€ญJudgesโ€ฌ โ€ญ16:21โ€ฌ โ€ญNIVโ€ฌโ€ฌ
[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 boundโœ“
2). v21 His vision – his eyes were gouged outโœ“
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. โœ“
4). His fellowship with God after God’s spirit departed from himโœ“
5). His Ministryโœ“

–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 โ€œGod 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
โ€ขโ€ขSolomon 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 friendโ€™s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a strangerโ€”if you have TRAPPED yourself by your agreement and are CAUGHT by what you SAID โ€”ย  follow my advice and SAVE YOURSELF, for you have placed yourself at your friendโ€™s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.ย  Donโ€™t put it off; DO IT NOW! Donโ€™t rest until you do. SAVE YOURSELF like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” [โ€ญโ€ญProverbs 6:1-5 NLTโ€ฌโ€ฌ]

2. Snare of Lust
โ€ขโ€ขThough 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)โ€ขโ€ข
–โ€ญโ€ญSamson 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**
–โ€ญโ€ญ Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the VALLEY of Sorek whose name was Delilah. (Judges 16:4 )
โ€ขโ€ขEVENTUALLY 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. โ€ญโ€ญ(Judges 16:21).
โ€ขโ€ข โ€ญโ€ญHebrews 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
โ€œNone of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.โ€ Romans 14:7 (NIV)
Sin may be secret, but itโ€™s never private. It will either come out now, here on earth, or at Judgment Day, but itโ€™s going to be known.
Numbers 32:23 is one of the scariest verses in the Bible: โ€œYou 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 peopleโ€”even if they donโ€™t know whatโ€™s going on.
A lot of people will say, โ€œWhat I do with my life is no one elseโ€™s business. As long as Iโ€™m 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 donโ€™t even realize, and then your actions affect others. When you sin, it cuts you off from Godโ€™s power and keeps you from your potential. It limits the good you can do and the impact you can have.
Isnโ€™t it sad to think of what you and others are missing when youโ€™re 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.