Competing with Porn

By Sean

Pornography will compete with your future spouse

Pornography is like water – it’s everywhere. These days it is extremely rampant. With just a click, you get instant, free access. But that doesn’t mean you have to drink it. There is someone in your life that will have to compete for your purity when you indulge yourself in pornography. Soft porn, hard porn, whatever – it’s all the same. Pornography is pornography.

When you watch or read pornography, you’re looking at a human being and you are lusting after that person. And the Bible is very serious about lust.

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:28

The Word of God equates lusting after another to adultery

“But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.” – Proverbs 6:32

The Bible does not take pornography very lightly. It ultimately explicitly condemns those who indulge themselves in lust. It provides no room for excuses. No, not even one.

Notice the verse says “Whoever does so destroys himself.” When you indulge yourself in pornography you destroy something in yourself – you batter it and shatter it into pieces. That part of you is your purity – which is one of the greatest treasures you can keep for your future spouse. It is how you can show your love to that special someone even while you have yet to meet.

You might not know it or think about it now but letting yourself indulge in pornography and lose your purity is something that will compete with your future spouse. It will not let your marriage stay pure – it will invade your most intimate moments and will desecrate your sexual union - that which God has called good.

Do not let pornography take control over your discipline and choice. It can very quickly become an addiction which is hard to break. Only with the grace of God are you going to be able to overcome it. Love your future spouse and do not let any competition build up between you and him/her. Consecrate yourself – first to God then for your future husband/wife and he/she will surely love you. And I am completely sure that God will honor you.

Top 3 reasons why we find it so hard to read the Bible

By Sean

Time and time again we find ourselves stuck into our beds and comfy chairs and it seems like our hands are too heavy to open that thick, dusty book lying on the topmost row of the bookshelf. There are a lot of reasons why we find it so hard to read the Bible or even to just open it up. But for now, I just want to talk about the top three.

These are the top three reasons

This entry has been inspired by the message I gave my small group when I asked them about their quiet time.

1. Laziness

Who would have thought, right? It’s a no-brainer. Laziness is the top reason why people find it so hard to have their time with God, reading His word. Sometimes we just don’t feel like it. We’re just not in the mood – in other words, we’re lazy. Uh-huh, yeah. That’s the word for it – LAZY.

And it’s such a valid reason too isn’t it? When you’re lazy, you’re probably not gonna do it. But let’s look at the root cause of the problem. Why are you lazy? Because there is no desire for it. There exists no passion for your pursuit of knowing God more. You don’t wanna know Him so chances are you’re probably not gonna be interested in reading His Word!

So what do you need to do in order for you to overcome laziness? You have to have that desire to know your Creator. I believe all of us know that everything comes from God. Everything we have received – there is nothing that we have not received from Him. In order for us to overcome this laziness in reading His Word, we have to have that passion to know God more.

2. Sin

Saying we are good and righteous when in fact we’re not is hypocrisy. And oftentimes we feel like hypocrites when we try to read the Bible but then we know that we have this favorite sin in our lives that we keep on doing and doing and doing. Sin can keep us from reading His word by telling us that we are being hypocrites when we do so because we are not worthy to read His word due to the fact that we have just sinned or that we are still sinning.

Sin can indeed cripple us of our quiet time with God. So what do we need to do in order for us to overcome this?

We have to choose.

Everyone is given the gift of free will. In the end, it all boils down to our choice. Your favorite sin is only your favorite sin because you choose to let it over you. You choose to be addicted to it and let it rule your discipline. Remember that David was a righteous man but one wrong choice ruined a part his life miserably – and it is remembered even up until now. One choice. One wrong choice.

Your choices can be influenced by what you put in your mind. If you always read God’s Word then you will be influenced in your choices to choose God. On the other hand, if you don’t read the Bible then you will most probably be influenced by the ways of this world: peer pressure, media, traditions, culture, and the list goes on and on. In the end, you cannot blame anyone like how Adam blamed Eve and like how Eve blamed the serpent. In the end, it’s your choice.

We all have 24 hours a day

3. Time

And then I hear the excuse ‘But I don’t have enough time!’

And isn’t it such a common reason? Time?

Listen, you and me and everyone else in the world has 24 hours a day – no more and no less. We all have time. It’s just a matter of priority. If you prioritize computer games, definitely you’ll get to play computer games within the day. If you prioritize your studies, definitely you’ll get to study within the day. You will definitely give time to the things that are important to you – to your priorities.

You can overcome your problem of ‘not enough time’ through prioritizing. Prioritize God’s Word over everything else. It is the most important time of your day. It is the most important relationship you have! I cannot stress that enough. How long do you have your quiet time? 10-15 minutes a day? 1 hour? It doesn’t matter as long as you communicate with God, building that relationship with Him.

So what if I have sex?

By Sean

Many young people today are given the thought that it’s okay to have sex, it’s uncool to be a virgin, it’s macho to be sexually active, it’s sexy to have a lot of sexual partners, etc. The internet promotes it like crazy, TV broadcasts it almost directly, movies and media markets the idea. Basically the whole world is promoting pre-marital sex and adultery. So what if I have sex?

The world is asking: So what if I have sex?

This might be one of my hardest hitting entries. This is also arguably the simplest entry I’ll be giving about sex and purity. Because, let’s face it – it’s a black and white argument.

Sex is extremely rampant these days. It is popularized and glorified to the point that it has revealed itself all-out in different forms – literature, media, advertisement, marketing, the internet, and the list goes on. Kids at a very tender and young age are exposed to the very idea that sex is great and it is even better when done without the boundaries that God has set for it.

The truth is, many people are making this statement today: “So what if I have sex?”

When pastors and preachers are scandalized of having sexual immorality with another person, it is demonized and suddenly placed in a dark shade – they are ultimately condemned. But when prominent people who are known to live a ‘free’ and worldly life go out and commit adultery or sexual immorality, they are glorified – subtly or bluntly. Whichever way we put it, we as human beings know that there is something wrong with having sex outside of marriage.

We just have this habit of ‘categorizing’ people – those who can commit sexual immorality and who cannot. When in truth, ALL PEOPLE have a law set by God and is fully known to EVERYONE.

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:18

Somehow all of us know that it is a sin to have sex with someone who is not our spouse whether we admit it or not – some people call it conscience, I call it fear of the Lord. Either way, we know instinctively that it is wrong. But even if there is that thing called conscience and fearing God, we have the ability to choose. And this world has set it’s eyes on helping us choose the desires of our body – which is to have sex even if we break the law and standard that God has set for us.

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” – Ephesians 5:3

This is God’s standard. Not even a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity.

What is the world’s standard? ‘Indulge yourself’. ‘Follow your heart’. ‘Just do it’. ‘Just be sure to practice safe sex’. These are the things that the world calls ‘freedom’ and it condemns God’s laws and ways as being ‘put in a fence’ and ‘contained’

I can go on and on about this topic and I fear I might stray away from my points. But let me leave you with this thought: So what if I have sex? God sees you and He will judge you for all your actions. Sexual immorality is sin and God condemns it even if the world glorifies it. if you so choose to follow the ways of the world, I tell you the truth, God’s wrath will not be withheld from you and you will have to face the consequences of your choices.

Fear God – something the world has forgotten. It laughs in the face of God now. Blasphemy is rampant and people don’t care about God and His kingdom anymore. The world is changing. But I tell you, that fear is what’s gonna keep you from falling into sin – it’s what’s going to keep you fleeing from temptation.

Remember that the main purpose of our lives is not to ‘be successful’ and ‘enjoy life’ it is to live for our Creator – to glorify and please Him alone. Especially with our bodies. For our flesh is molded into His image and likeness and our life is the breath of God. So follow His ways in the area of sexual purity. Honor God with your bodies.

SEO Hacker – SEO tips, tricks and more

By Sean

SEO Hacker is now up!

SEO-hacker is the website that gives you tons of information about SEO, SEO tips and tricks, white hat, black hat methods, and everything else about SEO, Search engine marketing and Google.

If you’re a blogger and you’re interested in optimizing the search engine visibility of your website then this is the place for you.

Some of the topics are:

So What is SEO?

SEO in 2 simple terms

Seven simple things that matter to your site’s SEO

Why do I blog about this? Because first and foremost, it is very informative in regards to the SEO industry and profession. Secondly, because it is owned by, yours truly – Sean Si. Hehehe.

To all the internet marketers and SEO specialists out there, enjoy!

Holy procrastination

By Sean

Ever heard the phrase, ‘delayed obedience is disobedience’? I’m sure we all have – most especially when we were little kids. Holy procrastination (as I’d like to call it) is a habit that sticks to us even when we’re all grown up.

Holy Procrastination

Obedience is immediate but understanding can follow

Isn’t it that sometimes we do not understand why we have to do things but we just do it anyway because our parents or a loved one asks us to? Obedience requires immediate action – an immediate choice to follow the command given. It is something that we cannot delay – unless you negotiate it with the one giving the command or request.

Remember the story of Abraham?

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” – Genesis 22:2

What happened after that? Did Abraham reason out with God? Did Abraham flounder around, killing time? Did Abraham think about it for weeks? Did he even negotiate with God??? Read the VERY NEXT VERSE.

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.” – Genesis 22:3

Early the next morning. Abraham did not Delay. Did he understand it? Heck no! It was his only son! And Isaac was a promised son to him! The big question in Abrahams head should have been WHY???

But did that question linger in his thoughts? No. He chose.

He chose to trust God.

And as a result, he immediately obeyed.

His faith is credited to him as righteousness as it is written in the new testament:

“This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”" – Romans 4:22

There are so many things in life that we do not understand. So many questions we go through. There are so many choices we have to make. And when it comes to a point where God wants you TO JUST OBEY HIM, you have to just go and do it – putting your faith in Him and knowing that everything is under His care. We have to know His truths and promises – that He has plans for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a hope and a future. And we have to always remember that God loves us – yes, even more than we love ourselves.

Holy procrastination can be a result of a multitude of reasons. But one thing can surpass it all – faith in God. Trust God like how Abraham trusted in Him. And God will surely remember you.

In the end, God explained to Abraham that it is but a test. And Abraham understood the reason behind God’s command. But because he obeyed even without understanding, it has become a matter of faith.

The thing we love the most in this world, instinctively, is ourselves

By Sean

It was about 12 midnight and I was about to sleep. My eyes were heavy as I just finished writing an entry in my journal. When a thought entered my mind. I was talking to God and He asked me, “Do you love yourself more than I love you?”

 

In this world, we love ourselves the most

This entry is a re-post from my multiply blog dated on November 4, 2008. It is related to my next entry about God and faith.

I had to get up.

I had to write it down.

And today, God told me to blog it and not to delay.

Do I love myself more than God loves me? I’m going to keep this message short and simple.

I thought: Will I die for myself needlessly, even if it’s to save my own soul?

Will I suffer the things Jesus suffered for me, even if it’s for myself?

It’s funny when I think about it. And at the same time it’s a scary thought. Maybe I do not understand what is important or who I really am. There’s the spiritual me and there’s the physical me. Will my physical self suffer and die for my spiritual self? Will I allow it, even if I know that my physical self is temporal and my spiritual one is eternal?

God loves me so much to die for me even when He didn’t have to. Will I do that? Even for myself? Sometimes we’re too afraid to die. To become separated from our physical body. We are so entangled with our physical identity that we have forgotten our spiritual one.

“I am such a selfish being that I will do everything for myself”, it’s instinctive for us humans to act and think like that. But personally, I’ve never encountered this thought – will I even be able or willing to die for myself?

Jesus died for me, He didn’t have to. He is King already and I’m a nobody. But He did it. And I might not understand it, but I believe that that is how it’s meant to be. Love can never be fully understood. Never. That is why it must always be good.

I’m just so glad that someone out there loves me even more than I love myself. It’s AMAZING!

Think about it.

How do you know if you trust someone? Misconceptions about faith

By Sean

Have you ever wondered how you are able to trust someone? Is it a matter of time? A matter of circumstance? Is trusting someone a matter of emotions? These are all questions that have sprung up in our thoughts at some point in our lives. How do you know if you trust someone?

Trusting someone is a choice

I’m sure all of us went through a point in time wherein we placed our trust in someone and that person betrayed it. Did you feel like trusting that person again? Probably not, right?

Remember the time when someone indirectly asked for your trust? Maybe a person whom you was just acquainted to? Trust isn’t given away just like that, isn’t it? Trust, as they say, is earned.

For me, I would say trusting someone is a choice. And when you say that you’re earning a person’s trust, you’re simply saying that you’re earning that person’s choice.

I’ll be keeping this post short and simple.

Faith in God, if genuine, is an unconditional choice. Even when things go wrong for you and you do not understand it, you choose to trust Him. It’s not about time or circumstance or emotions, though those things are factors of your faith and trust. In the end, it all comes down to your choice.

How do you know if you trust someone? It’s your choice to make. It doesn’t happen just because.

How do you know if you trust someone? Misconceptions about faith

Top 5 Things you have to know about Worry

By Sean

A lot of people struggle with worry. It would seem that there are a lot of things that people can worry about these days. Believers and non-believers alike struggle with worry and find it hard to overcome their anxiety. There are certain things that you should know about worry that are taken from the Bible.

Top 5 things to know about worry

These entries have been strongly inspired by Harold J. Sala’s book: “Making Your Emotions Work for You”

Top 5 reasons why you should not worry

Worry is a murderer

Worry Versus Concern

The roots and causes of Worry

Does worrying about someone mean you care?

When God had no reason to choose

By Sean

We all have our preferences and favorites right? The world says that when you have good looks, you’re almost half-way there. And often times, we choose our favorites for a reason – either they look good, or they have a pleasing personality, they make us laugh, they’re fun to be with, etc. How do you think God choose His favorites?

God spoke to Jacob in his dream

The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.” – Genesis 25:23

The ‘her’ in this verse pertains to Rebekah, the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. What does this verse tell us? Hmmm…

As we all know, Jacob is the one chosen by God. Jacob is the man through whom God created a nation – his chosen people, Israel. It is Jacob through whom God chose to walk the Earth through His son, Jesus Christ. What did Jacob do to deserve this? Let’s study Jacob’s life shall we?

1. Jacob’s name means ‘deceiver’ – and he wasn’t named ‘deceiver’ for nothing

Jacob deceived his brother Esau twice.

First, He took his birthright in exchange for a meal (in this case, I would think it’s the fault of Esau for not giving value to his own birthright)

Second, He deceived both his brother and his father Isaac when he took Esau’s blessing. He disguised himself as Esau with the help of his mother Rebekah.

2. Jacob played favorites – both with his wives and with his sons

He loved Rebekah more than Leah

He loved Joseph more than all his other sons

In every way, the Bible tells us to our face that Jacob is definitely not a perfect person. He is in every way flawed as a human can be. So why did God choose Jacob?

No reason at all.

Jacob did not deserve to be chosen. He didn’t even do anything to earn God’s choice. Before he was even born, God chose him already as we see from Genesis 25:23. God’s choice is God’s choice. We can never understand why because His thoughts are not our thoughts and neither are His ways our ways.

God’s love and promises for Jacob started with a choice. And Jacob did nothing to deserve it. I don’t know about you, but for me, that is great news! To know that even before I was born, God chose me for something is mind-blowing. And I know that He has chosen and appointed every one of us for His purposes.

“your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.” – Psalm 139:16

I love this verse! Thank you Lord!

And we know full well what Jacob did with His blessings. We know what He did with God’s choice of him. He obeyed God and held on to His promises. He glorified God with all he had – giving a tenth of his possessions to the Lord.

Isn’t that the same with how we should look at our lives today? We are all chosen for a reason – the elect. Shouldn’t we glorify God with our lives as well? I urge you, men and women of God to live for him. We are not perfect – and until Christ comes again, we can never be. But just like Jacob who glorified God with his life, we should desire such a life to live for God as well.

Will we ever have that love story that we often dream of?

By Sean

It’s a very simple question. I want to hear from my readers what they think about their own love story. We’ve all dreamed of a romance and a story for our own. And I know that we have hopes and ideals in our hearts that we still cling to.

What do you think? is that love story still real for you? Do you think we can ever have that love story that we so often want and dream of?

This is a question to help me on my next entry. Also, I want to hear from you, my readers, and communicate with you =)

Does worrying about someone mean you care?

By Sean

We often worry about someone – most probably the people we love and who are dear to us. It’s quite a common thing to get worried when you’re not with that person or when you’ve no idea where that someone is, what that someone is doing, etc. Does worrying about that particular someone mean that you care?

This is the fifth entry on my series about Worry.

My previous entries:

Top 5 reasons why you should not worry

Worry is a murderer

Worry Versus Concern

The roots and causes of Worry

This entry has been strongly inspired by Harold J. Sala’s book: “Making Your Emotions Work for You”

Worry and care are two different things

Yes, things can go wrong

I’m sure at some point in your life, you’ve experienced worrying about a person, right? It’s not an unusual thing to do to think about what’ might happen to that certain someone when you’re not around. Things can go awry - as ‘Murphy’s law’ endorses it. And there are times that we find ourselves thinking about all the bad things that can go wrong for the person we care about.

So does it mean that when you’re worried about a person, you care for him/her? Hmmm…

There are just some things that you cannot control. And we as human beings, certainly don’t like to be controlled, do we? When you keep on worrying about that person, he/she will just feel that you’re trying to control the situation he/she is in (or is going to be in) and so you’re meddling with his/her life. And oftentimes, it would seem to them that we’re trying to control them. It’s not going to build a healthy relationship.

It spells out one thing for them: “I don’t trust you”

Yup. When we worry about the people we care for, we make them feel that we don’t trust them because we try our best to control their every move. But in reality, it’s not about that.

In reality, worrying about another person spells out: “I don’t trust God”

Because, as my previous entry has already explained, God has claimed control of everything. He has ordained all our days, has ordained all things that has happened, that are happening and that will happen here on Earth.

Worrying about someone doesn’t mean you care. It just means that you don’t trust God enough to just take comfort in His protection and plans. You might not know it, but God loves that other person much more than you do.

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