The Problems of Men by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013. I believe I'm qualified to write about the problems of men, having been a man now for around seven decades. I’ve learned some things that will help my fellow men. I’ll share with you. But it wouldn’t be so bad if some women also read this book, because women are often the mothers of boys, and boys (and all children) need good teaching. In some cases, of course, the problems of men are very much like the problems of women. We must all watch the words that come out of our mouths. Jesus said we'll be judged by our words, and justified by our words. In the book of James, it says the tongue is most difficult thing to control. If you can control your tongue, you can control your whole body. (James chapter 3) So then, controlling your tongue helps you control your body. One of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain.” In other words, don’t blaspheme God or his name. (Exodus chapter 20) Don’t curse God, and don’t take God’s name in vain by saying things like, “God damn it.” That’s displeasing to God. I had a Christian friend in Houston. I was away for a while, but then came into contact with him again. I was surprised at his very foul talking he had acquired. I mentioned it to him, and he said, oh, that’s because he learned to do that at the automobile repair shop where he had been hanging around. Don’t hang around where they’re going to teach you bad habits. Evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Cor 15:33) Another scripture tells us, (Prov chapt. 22) 24 Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man you shall not go, 25 So you don't learn his ways and entrap your soul. With whomever you keep company, you tend to be more like them. Choose your friends carefully. In Proverbs chapter 18, verse 1, 1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeks and mixes with all wisdom. And there’s another very important piece of information in the Bible regarding the unforgivable sin. And that would be the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Jesus said if you blaspheme him, you can be forgiven, but if you blaspheme the Holy Ghost (who is also the Holy Spirit), there is no forgiveness for that. Ask God to help you never to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. When you pray, believe that you receive what you’re asking for. (Mark 11:24) All of us are supposed to "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." (Prov 4:23) It doesn’t mean your physical heart that pumps the blood. It means your desires; your emotions. Your power to choose the right thing or the wrong thing. The Bible says anger rests in the bosom of fools. (Eccl 7:9) If you’re keeping your heart with all diligence, you won’t “fly off the handle” every time some little thing goes wrong. “The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” (Eccl 7:8) The Bible says we should bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor 10:5) You can rule over your thoughts. If a thought comes to me that is lustful, I know that’s not from God, and I command the evil spirit that brought me that thought to go and not return in Jesus’ name. (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17,18) But in addition to the problems that men have in common with women, there are problems unique to men. The main problem in that category that I have found is the problem of sex. Women are not tempted with sex nearly as much as men are. Men’s bodies are not very much a temptation to women, like women’s bodies are tempting to men. Jesus said something very important for men. He said, “He that looks at a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt 5:28) That scripture right there shows us that pornography is sin. Pornography is about lust. In 1 John chapter 2: 15 Don't love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away and its lust, but he that does the will of God lives forever. Pornography has two of the three things found in this passage, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes. In my book, “Pornography Kills,” I show that using pornography allows demons to enter the person using it. Those demons will try to get that person into a fiery hell that Jesus spoke of, and give them terrible diseases on earth, both physical and mental. They’ll try to ruin your life. Don’t let them in. But if you do have demons, cast them out. (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17,18) In the Old Testament, Joseph was tempted with adultery. Joseph didn’t deliberately put himself into temptation. He had been kidnapped and sold as a bondman to an officer of Pharaoh’s in Egypt. His boss’s wife had adulterous thoughts toward Joseph. But Joseph said: no, no, no, no. So, she got him thrown into prison, though he’d done nothing wrong. Before long, Joseph was running the prison. His interpreting of prisoners’ dreams got him an audience with Pharaoh, who promoted Joseph to the second in command of all of Egypt. Joseph was an overcomer, as in Revelation chapter 2 & 3. If your main problem is something else, like alcohol, or drugs, or anything else, I have good news. God will help you to overcome in that area, too. First be sure you’re a Christian, according to John chapter 3, and Romans 10:9,10 (chapter 10, verses 9,and 10) Then ask God to make you an overcomer. When you pray, believe you receive. (Mrk 11:24) Take authority over the demons associated with the problem. Bind them, and command them to go and not return. (Luke 10:19, Mrk 16:17,18) In Revelation chapter 2 and 3, Jesus talks to seven churches. If you happen to have a red letter edition of the Bible, much of chapters 2 & 3 are in red ink, because it’s Jesus talking. To each of those seven churches, Jesus tells them he wants them to be overcomers, and He makes promises to them if they’ll be overcomers. An overcomer is someone who, when temptation comes, overcomes the temptation, and doesn’t yield to it. The Lord wants all of his people to be overcomers, and gives us seven promises for those who are overcomers in Revelation chapters 2 & 3. It is not the will of God for his people to be bound by bad habits. He wants us overcome them. There was a documentary on TV about former president, John F. Kennedy. It is not my purpose to slander JFK, but it’s fairly well known that he had a womanizing problem, even as a married man. Someone who had been an acquaintance of JFK told about how he was asked, “Mr. President, you’re President of the United States, why do you mess around with adultery?” He is reported to have answered, “I can’t stop.” But that statement is theologically incorrect. JFK was a Catholic. I believe that some Catholics are born again Christians, but, unfortunately, some are not. In Houston, my wife and I broke bread with Charles and Elizabeth Melton. They had come out of the Catholic Church. They said, “When we were Catholics, we were not taught, You must be born again, like Jesus said. We were taught that you’ll go to heaven if you’re a good Catholic.” No, that won’t fly. There’s no getting around Jesus’ requirement that we must be born again, according to John chapter 3, and Romans 10:9,10. And there’s no church that can get you to heaven without your being born again. But when God says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” God really does mean that we should obey that command. God won’t tell you to do something that can’t be done. JFK was theologically incorrect. Jesus tells us to be overcomers. In some cases, adulterers commit adultery because of one or more demons that get into people. A demon is a fallen angel that rebelled against God at the time that Satan rebelled against God. But Christians can cast out demons. There’s more on that in my book, “What the Bible Teaches about Binding and Loosing, Speaking into Existence, Confessing Scriptural Promises, Casting out Demons.” As a Christian, you have authority from the Lord in Luke 10:19, and in Mark 16:17,18 to cast out demons. For many years, I was not aware that a Christian could have a demon, but I found out that Christians can have demons. Remember brother Job from the Old Testament? Job was a righteous man who went through some tribulation because of a conversation between God and Satan. God allowed Satan to bring evil against Job. But at the end, God blessed Job twice as much as before. But Job said something important to men. He said, "I made a covenant with my eyes, why then should I think about a young woman?” (Job 31:1) What is this covenant with his eyes? It means Job was careful not to look at women lustfully. And these days, the way some women dress themselves, if I see a woman coming toward me not modestly dressed, I look in a different direction, like Job would do. I’d like to share with you something I found in the Old Testament. I’ve never heard this taught by a pastor or preacher. Look at Proverbs 29:24. “Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own soul, he hears cursing, and doesn't betray it.” When I was young, I thought, “How is it my fault if I hear cursing?” Of course, you’re less likely to hear cursing if you don’t become a partner with a thief. But just going about our daily lives, we might hear some cursing. I heard a lot of it when I was in the U.S. military. But then I thought, “Well, yes, it’s going to cost me nothing to pray a short prayer like: God forgive me for hearing cursing if that would please the Lord.” But there’s a corollary to that that has been helpful to me as a man. If I’m walking down the street, and see a woman immodestly dressed, I’ve found it helpful to say, “Father, please forgive me if I looked at something I shouldn’t have looked at.” You might say, “Well, I don’t have to do that.” That’s right, you don’t have to do that, but I’ve found it helpful to me in my efforts to be an overcomer, and I believe it would help many men to do so. When I was young, and not doing so well at overcoming porn, I sought the Lord, and the Lord said to me regarding porn, “You’re just going to have to stay away from it.” That may not exactly knock the problem out of the ball park, but it helps to know that that’s what the Lord expects, and since he expects it, it can be done. On another occasion, when I wasn’t being a champion overcomer, the Lord said to me, “You’re going to have to try again.” Try again to do what? Try again to be an overcomer. So I tried again. For the rest of our lives, we must try to be overcomers, and Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you'll find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you…” (Matt chapter 7) In another city, I lived for a while at a certain hotel. In the front window of the hotel, they thought it would be good to tell the public that you get this certain cable TV channel if you stay there. It’s possible that it helped them get customers, but I know that channel, and it has some pornographic programming. But a solution to that problem is, you disable the offending channel. You go to the “menu” on the TV, and you go to where you can enable or disable channels, and you disable the bad stuff. On some TV’s it’s hard to do that without a remote control. The landlord didn’t provide one, but I got a universal remote control at Walmart. It’s called a universal remote control because it’s good for many different makes and models of TV’s. They come with instructions. You find the right code for the particular TV that you have, and enter that code into the remote. (Install your batteries properly.) You go to the menu on the TV. The remote may have a button for “menu.” You find the place in the menu for enabling or disabling individual channels, and you disable the offending channel. Then when you channel surf, up or down, you’ll skip right over the disabled channels. The path to becoming an overcomer starts with your decision, “I choose to be an overcomer, and having made that choice, I know the Lord will help me to be that man, and thank you for it, Father, in Jesus’ name.” The Bible says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12) In my efforts to be an overcomer, I’ve compiled a list of scriptures on that subject. Have a look: OVERCOMING All my problems are plucked up roots & all & thrown into the sea. Mrk 11:23 And Fred encouraged himself in the Lord. (like David did) As my Father in heaven is perfect, so am I. Matt 5:48 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. Ps 40:13 'cause I commit my works to the Lord, my thoughts are established. Prov 16:3 'cause I fear God, I come forth from them all. Isa 46:10 'cause I order my conversation right, the Lord shows me his salvation. 'Cause I'm born of God, I overcome the world. 1 Jhn 5:4 'Cause I'm just, I come out of trouble. 'Cause I'm wise, wisdom strengthens me. Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17 For sin shall not have dominion over me. Rom 6:14 God always causes me to triumph in Christ. 2 Cor 2:14 God bruises Satan under my feet. Rom 16:20 God delivers me fr the power of darkness & translates me into the kingdom of his dear son. Col 1:13 God has given me all things that pertain to life & godliness. God is my defense & the God of my mercy. God makes us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:6 God's anointing on me has broken my yokes. Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world. 1 Jhn 4:4 Having done all, I stand. Eph 6:13,14 He that does righteousness is righteous. He that has begun a gd work in me will perfect it. Holiness to the L. Holiness w/out which no man shall see the Lord. I abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul. I arm myself with Jesus’ words 1 Pet 4:1, Isa 53:5 I avoid the appearance of evil. Thess. I bless & don't curse. Matt 5:44, Lk 6:28 I boldly confess I'm an overcomer of temptation. I bridle my tongue & control the whole body. Jas I bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10:5 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13 I commit my works to the Lord, so my thoughts are established. Prov I continue on to know the Lord. I control the tongue and the whole body. Jas 3:2 I count it all joy if I fall into divers temptations. Jas 1:2 I delight in the word of God. Psa. 37 I command my mountains to go and they go. Mrk 11:23 I do my promises & confessions daily. I don't blaspheme or grumble or murmur or complain or gripe. I don't get discouraged. I don't give heed to seducing spirits. 1 Tim 4:1 I don't give place to the devil. Eph 4:27 I don't grieve God's holy spirit. Eph 4:30 I don't judge so I won't be judged. I don't still live in unbelief. I don't turn again to folly. Jer I don't yield to sin, but to God. Rom 6:13 I encourage myself in the Lord. 1 Sam 30:6 I endure to the end. I fight the good fight of faith. I lay hold on eternal life. 1 Tim 6:12 I flee youthful lusts. I forget the things that are behind and reach forth to the things that are ahead, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. Phil 3:13,14 I forgive everyone of everything. Matt 6:14,15 Mrk 11:25 I give diligence to make my calling & election sure. I go from strength to strength. I go from victory to victory. I hate sin, as one who loves the Lord. I have a good resurrection I have dominion over everything. Gen 1:28 I humble myself and become obedient like Jesus. I hunger and thirst for righteousness and am filled. I keep God's word always before me. I keep my mouth, so I keep my life. Prov 13:3 I keep myself in the fear of God all day long. Prov 23:17 I keep myself from idols. I Jhn? I keep myself unspotted from the world. Jas I keep the flesh under subjection. 1 Cor 9:27, 11:1 I lay hold on eternal life. I hold fast to wisdom. She is my life. I hold the mystery of faith with a pure conscience. 1 Tim 3:9 I hold tightly to confessing the same things. I hold tightly to my profession of faith without wavering. Heb 4:14, 10:23 I humble myself like a little child. I keep my heart w all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Prov 4:23 I live by my faith. Rom 1:17, Hab. 2:4 I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 I live something like fasted life. I love the Lord and hate evil. I make my calling and election sure. I make use of the washing of water by the word. I obtain joy & gladness. Sorrow & sighing flee away. Isa 35:10 I overcome by the blood of lamb & by word of my testimony. Rev 12:11 I overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 I patiently continue in well-doing. I put my trust in the Lord: how say ye to my soul flee like a bird to your mountain? Ps 11:1 I quench the fiery darts of the enemy with my faith. Eph 6:16 I reckon myself dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6:11 I resist the devil and he flees from me. Jas 4:7 I reign in life by Jesus Christ. Rom 5:17 I reign with the Lord Jesus. I rejoice 'cause my name's written in Lamb's Book of Life. I set my heart right and my spirit is steadfast with God. I shout for joy and am glad 'cause I favor God's righteous cause. I sit with Jesus in heavenly places. Eph 2:1-6 I stay away from the things that drown men in destruction and perdition. I stay away from the things whose end is death. I stay in faith and I keep the switch of faith turned on. Jas 1:6 I submit myself to God and resist the devil. Jas 4:7 I think on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. If there's any virtue or praise, I think on those things. Phil 4:8 I walk in love to please the Lord. I watch and pray so I have no temptation. Matt 26:41 If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man and is able to control the whole body. James I'm an overcomer and I stay away from what's wrong. Rev chapt. 2 & 3 I'm careful to maintain good works. I'm complete in the Lord Jesus. I'm crucified with Christ. Christ lives in me. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 I'm dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Col 1:21,22 I'm delivered from the power and authority of darkness & translated into the Kingdom of his dear son. 2 Cor 10:3-5, Col 1:13 I'm faithful until death. I'm happy 'cause I find wisdom & get understanding. Prov I'm made righteous by the blood of Jesus. I'm more than a conqueror through him that loved us. Rom 8:37 I'm not of those who draw back to perdition. I'm not overcome by evil. I overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 I'm one of those just men made perfect. Heb 12:23 I'm perfect like my Father in heaven. Matt 5:48 I'm pure in heart, so I see God. I'm sealed until the day of redemption. I'm strengthened w might by his spirit in the inner man. I'm strong. Joel 3:10 I'm strong, for it is written, "Let the weak say I'm strong." I'm strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Eph 6:10 I'm washed in water by the word. In Christ, I can stand in the Father's presence as though I'd never sinned. In Christ, I've overcome the devil. I've made a covenant with my eyes. Job In my patience I possess my soul. Lk 21:19 I've hidden your word in my heart so I won't sin against you. Psalms I've set to my seal that God is true. I'll not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. Isa 45:17, and Joel I'll walk with the Lord in white. He helps me to qualify. Rev 3:4 I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus, old things have passed away, see, all things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17 I'm God's workmanship. Eph 2:10 Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. Jhn 3:8, Heb 2:14 Jesus has delivered me from the power of darkness. Col 1:13 Jesus is my wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Cor 1:30 Joy comes in the morning. Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins. The Lord brings forth my righteousness as the light and my justice as the noonday. Ps 37:6 The Lord gives me deliverance from all my troubles. The Lord redeems my life from destruction and crowns me with loving kindness and tender mercies. Ps 91:16 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. My affliction is light and works for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. My body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor 6:19 My eye is single. I'm not of double heart. My faith in God works. My faith overcomes the world. 1 Jhn 5:1-4 My heart is right with God and I'm steadfast in his covenant. My warfare is accomplished. My way is made plain 'cause I'm Righteous. Prov No temptation has taken me but such as is common to man. God won't allow me to be tempted above my ability. 1 Cor 10:13 Sin shall not have dominion over me. Rom 6:14 Thank you, Father, for the washing of water by the word. The battle is the Lord's. 1 Sam 17:47 The carnal mind is enmity against God. Rom 8:7 The greater one is in me. 1 Jhn 4:4 The joy of the Lord is my strength. Neh 8:10 The law of my God is in my heart; none of my steps shall slide. Ps 37:31 The Lord carries me and bears me and gives me deliverance. Isa 46:4 The Lord brings forth my righteousness as the light and my justice as the noonday. Ps 37:6 The L delivers me out of all temptations. 1 Cor 10:13, 2 Pet 2:9 The Lord delivers me out of all trouble. The Lord establishes, strengthens, settles me. The Lord feeds me with butter and honey and I know to choose the good and hate evil and I do so. The Lord girds me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like hinds' feet and sets me on my high places. Ps 18:32,33 The Lord girds me w strength for the battle. He establishes my goings. The Lord gives me joy. The Lord gives me songs in the night. Ps The L gives me the victory. The Lord gives me understanding & I shall live. Ps 119 The Lord has brought me out of my distresses. Ps 107:28 The Lord has done great things for me. The Lord has established me. The Lord has seen my ways and healed me; he leads me also and restores comforts to me and to my mourners. Isa. 57:18 The Lord has set before me life and death. I choose life. The Lord has turned for me my mourning into dancing. Ps The Lord increases my wisdom liberally and doesn't upbraid. The Lord is my light and my salvation. I don't fear. The Lord is the strength of my life. Ps 27:1 The Lord is my strength in time of trouble. Ps 37:39 The Lord is the fountain of living waters. Isa The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever. The Lord redeems my life from destruction. The Lord restores to me the joy of his salvation. He upholds me with his free spirit. Ps 51:12 The Lord revives me again. The Lord sets a watch before my mouth; he keeps the door of my lips. Ps 141:3 The Lord speaks peace to me and I don't turn again to folly. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Ps 138:8 The Lord will see to it. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. I run into it and am safe. Prov 18:10 The spirit quickens me and Jesus’ words are life. Jhn 6:63 There is not in me an evil heart of unbelief. Heb 3:12 Through the spirit, I mortify the deeds of the body and live. Rom 8:13 We are not ignorant of his devices. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. When I exercise my faith in God, I receive the results promised in the word.