Daily Devotional for Saturday November 24, 2018

A danger the internet poses to married men and women!!!

(Proverbs 78:11, James 1:5)

**DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Father, bless me this day to have the courage to stand up for YOUR TRUTH in my daily life. Give me boldness to proclaim YOUR TRUTH when I am with those who mock and demean our faith in Christ and for following the teachings of the Bible. No matter what they may say, let me be not afraid to stand for you. LET NO MAN EVER WONDER IF I AM A TRUE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND MY LIFE BELONGS TO YOU!!! In Jesus name...AMEN!

***LIVEPRAYER TV IS BACK!!! We re-launched the Liveprayer TV program with a Thanksgiving Day special broadcast that was LIVE from 7p-8p EST! Our regular broadcast schedule begins this coming Monday, November 26th, airing every Monday thru Friday LIVE from 11p-Midnight EST! As we have since the program began, I will discuss the issues of the day from a Biblical worldview, and take phone calls from the viewers on every program with questions, comments, and prayer requests.

You will be able to watch the Liveprayer TV program LIVE on the Liveprayer.com website as well as major streaming platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and others. We will also archive every program so that if you can’t watch it live, you can watch it on your schedule ON DEMAND!

Another great blessing is that the TV program will initially on cost only $2,000 a monthly, as opposed to the tens of thousands of dollars each month it cost the ministry to air on traditional TV. That monthly cost will go up only as the viewership increases, meaning if we have to pay more each month it is because we are attracting a larger audience that will also bring new friends to help support Liveprayer. So please be praying about your sacrifice each month to insure that this additional monthly cost for a critical part of the Liveprayer ministry is covered.

After doing our LIVE TV program on various non-Christian stations and networks around the nation since 2003, I am humbled and most thankful for the opportunity to reach thousands and thousands of new people each night. I know that as each year passes, more and more people are growing up having never been to church, having never been in a home environment where God’s Word and faith in Jesus was practiced and honored. Pray with me that each night lives will be impacted for Christ, hope is given to those who are at a desperate place in their life, and lost souls will come to faith in Jesus Christ!!! AMEN!!!

One of my number one goals every day is to bridge the gap between our unseen faith and the very real world we find ourselves living in each day. If there is one area the church as a whole has failed in, and why so many find little relevance in many churches, is because of the failure to take the very real day-to-day life experiences we have and put them in the context of our faith in the Lord.

As you know, if you have read many of my Devotionals, I will not back off even the most controversial issues, since it is usually THOSE issues many struggle with and need spiritual guidance in. One of those issues is Internet romances.

I discussed in the past the trap of Internet chat rooms, chat applications, Facebook, and other social media sites, and how easily married people fall into sin in this area. Today, however, I want to address those who are single, and the wisdom of Internet romances. First, there is NO SCRIPTURE that says "thou shalt not have an Internet romance". The spiritual application here is from a wisdom standpoint. After all, it is God who gives us wisdom, and like all gifts He gives, we are to use it.

I realize that there may be some of you reading this Devotional right now that met your spouse over the Internet, you developed a spiritual foundation in your relationship, dated over a period of time, had confirmation in both of your lives from God that this was part of His plan for your life, and have a very healthy and happy marriage.

There are always exceptions but I can tell you from dealing with this issue over the last 19+ years, having seen thousands of emails from men and women, Internet romances are dangerous and usually NOT a good idea no matter how "wonderful" even the Christian dating services want you to believe it is!

You have two basic problems with Internet romances. First is the long distance factor. Second is the fantasy problem. The problem with long distance romances is the fact that without being in the physical presence of a person, it is very difficult to develop any chemistry, develop a bond, and really get to know each other well enough to make a wise decision on whether this is really a lifetime relationship.

Again, I know there are many examples where two people have made it work, but trust me, those are exceptions and not the rule. Two people who potentially may spend the rest of their life together need a period of time to see if they can build a spiritual foundation to their relationship, to see if they can communicate, to have the time to be able to properly hear from God about His will for them. There is NO substitution for spending time together.

With the Internet, you have a blend of fantasy and reality. When your main form of communication is email, Instant Messages, text, and chat rooms, you are in a blended world. You build a mental image of who this person is with little basis in reality. Of course, via email, they are PERFECT. They literally become, to some extent, a creation of your imagination. This is NOT healthy and extremely dangerous.

Some of the frequent problems I encounter daily in regard to this issue are these. Many of the "single" men and women you are dealing with are NOT single, but married. Of course, you don't find out about this until you are very well into your "cyber relationship." Another major problem is no matter how spiritual your conversations may be, at some point, sex enters into the mix. This often leads to involvement in cyber- sex and usually advances into phone sex.

The biggest problem, however, is at some point the "relationship" advances to a point where you actually meet each other in person. Usually you have had many months of contact with this person, you have created in your mind who this person is, and there is an incredible thrill and anticipation in actually meeting 'real time'.

Many men AND women are predators are masters at using the Internet to find their prey. Because you DON'T really know them, since you have never spent any time together, since you have fantasized who this person is in your mind without really knowing for sure, you have left yourself wide open to incredible problems.

I love you so very much, and I really do care about you. After these 19+ years you are like part of my family. The things I have shared with you today come from dealing with real people, many who have had their lives turned upside down from Internet romances. I realize many of you are lonely, and thus you become easy prey for those men and women trolling the Internet for someone to take advantage of. But you are not using wisdom, and you are playing a very dangerous game.

The end results of most of these situations range from people being used sexually then dumped, people being taken advantage of financially, marriages that end in divorce, and in one case years ago...death! Internet romances are NOT a good idea. They are NOT wise!

You are much better served doing it the old-fashioned way. Meeting someone in a real face-to-face meeting. Dating. Building a spiritual foundation together over time. Ultimately, putting yourselves in a situation where God can confirm to both of you that this is part of His plan for your life. God is the one who gives us wisdom. In regard to Internet romances, use wisdom and pray long and hard before you ever get involved in one!

In His love and service,

Your friend, brother, and co-laborer in Christ,

Bill Keller