Good-Bye, Worldly Lust; so Long, Sinful Desires

By Loretha Washington

Crispus and Naomi Precious Joshua are called to the inner city of Los Angeles to do a work for the Lord. The inner-city church in the neighborhood is surrounded by drug users, lowriders, and people needing to change their weary lives.

Raising their two children, Divinity and Nehemiah, in church is the most rewarding experience for the couple even though they are exposed to inner-city life. Later, Divinity and Nehemiah would see their own world and find their identity after experiencing life after college. Divinity faces challenges when she leaves the church and returns after many episodes of trials and tribulations and says, Good-bye, worldly lust, and so long, sinful desires!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781503516793

Loretha Washington

Loretha Washington is an educator for one of the largest school districts in the state of California. As a born-again Christian, she is a devoted churchgoer and a member of the missionary board, choir department, witness team, and the hospitality team. She actively participates and implements many of her church’s special functions and speaks at her church and evangelizes at other churches.

Book preview

GOOD-BYE,

WORLDLY LUST;

SO LONG,

SINFUL DESIRES

LORETHA WASHINGTON

Copyright © 2014 by Loretha Washington.

ISBN:     Softcover     978-1-5035-1678-6

eBook     978-1-5035-1679-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 11/12/2014

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

This book is

dedicated to my mom for her devotion and inspirational messages about topics expressed in this book.

Acknowledgments

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Pastor Dorothea Washington, Miracle Faith Apostolic House of Prayer, Inc., Long Beach, California, for her many sermons and spiritual counseling.

What Shall I Do?

By Quincy Fielding, Jr.

© 1988 by Embassy Music Corporation (BMI)

International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

Wilkepedia

Live In New York By Any Means

By Hezekiah Walker and The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir

© 1995 by RGY Entertainment (BMI)

All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

Wilkepedia

Holy One

By Walter Hawkins

© 1980 by Bud John Music EMI Christian Music Group (BMI)

All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

Wilkepedia, scripture text from the King James Version of the Bible.

Introduction

If we ever needed the Lord before in life, we really need him now. Presently, it is the time to seek the Lord. The earth, right now, is full of turmoil and bloody crimes: gun violence in schools, habitual drug use, high jacking, wars and rumors of wars, husbands and wives giving up marriages, mothers against daughters, sons against fathers, men and women leaving their natural affections. These things are happening in the world right today.

In the book Good-bye Worldly Lust; So Long Sinful Desires, the author, Loretha Washington has made an attempt to illustrate some of the past, present, and future events being manifested in the world. Biblical text exemplifies these actions with considerable data from the fore-prophets who projected that these things would, indeed, occur.

Even with the turmoil and struggles of the world, a person can live a peaceful and spiritual life. Our Comforter and Savior died that we may have life and that we may have it more abundantly. Life changes may affect our goals, but with Christ, all things are made possible when we forget those things that are behind us and press, as Apostle Paul states to the Philippians, toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Then we become victorious.

In the last days, there will be a great falling away in the church. But God wants us to come back to him. Come back to me, oh backsliding people of Israel. Come back! For I am your Lord, thy God.

God wants to purge us, wash us, and make us clean after we put away the evils of our doings. In the last days, many people will be lovers of themselves more than the lovers of God. People are seeking the prosperity of the world more so than of God. The treasure’s up in heaven where thieves cannot break through and steal.

I am gracious to have a member of my church as well as my daughter who has been inspired to write about the topic I have addressed for numerous years. As you read the book, remember this, the day that you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart. Hebrew 12:1 tells us to Lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

It is important that we do say good-bye to our worldly lust and so long to all our sinful desires. This is the only way God can enter into our hearts; He wants a clean vessel.

Pastor Dorothea Washington

Chapter 1

Shouts of praise—Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus—rang out in the small storefront church centered between a run-down cleaners and a secondhand store in Southeast Los Angeles. Storefront churches, along with liquor stores, appeared on almost every corner in the neighborhood. Liquor stores were so abundant they appeared as an extension of corner lots. Church signs hung distinctively to show the various denominations, specifically Baptist, Church of God in Christ, nondenominational, African Methodist Episcopal, and Revival Times. It was like a rushing mighty wind had swept through the city of LA, giving many ministers a message to lead the people from their wicked ways or result to eternal hell fire and brimstone.

The city of Los Angeles had shown decay in the late eighties. Induction of the LSD drug that was used primarily in the sixties, seventies, and eighties had become popular in the nineties, along with crack cocaine, spreading havoc and taking on a new form. Many of the local residents using the drug were experiencing hallucination of vicious creatures attacking and beast taking charge of their entire beings. In this era, the intake of the LSD drug escalated under a new form and became very popular. Young women would coast down the streets of LA, pulling what appeared to be a rope hanging out of the sky. Men would run rampantly through deserted lots or schools, hallucinating being attacked by wild creatures or aliens. Other drugs, such as sherm, also known as PCP, were slowly distributed, leaving room for more chaos in the streets of Los Angeles. PCP, a derivative of LSD, cocaine samples, heroin, and other mixtures when the former chemicals were not available, became far the most profound drug of the eighties. Because of its powerful effect, the neighborhood experienced vast changes. This powerful drug acts as a stimulant, anesthetic, depressant, and hallucinogen simultaneously. This effect was detrimental to any human being, yet many Angelinos continued to ingest the drug into their bodies. Reports of devastating usage of the drug became apparent on news stations across the United States.

In the inner city of LA, there was no secret that young women were caught running naked through project units after using drugs. Sadie, a local intoxicated resident, lived in a run-down unit in the projects. She would often spearhead an episode of neurotic splurges down the center of the desecrated parking lot. Day in and day out, she would expose her body by stripping and then running through the project units after the harsh drugs penetrated her tiny body.

Sophie, Sadie’s mom, was overprotective of her naïve daughter, even though her daughter did not acknowledge this. Day in and day out, Sophie walked through the project units searching for her drug-addicted daughter, carrying whatever her hands could carry to cover her daughter’s nude body. Nothing was too good for her baby—a blanket, a sheet, a tablecloth, and even drapery. Sophie did not want her child exposed to the public or harsh weather conditions. Sophie cared for her daughter, no matter what condition she was facing. There’s always an end to every tunnel, she believed.

Problems with young men under the influence of PCP were also a big issue in the inner city of LA. It was noted that the young men acquired supernatural strength, enraged, when arrested by police or when they were held down by friends and family members trying to control them.

Mario, a local resident, was reported under the influence of this devastating drug. Apparently, he had swallowed a PCP cigarette. The chemicals in the cigarette were so powerful that it created a chemical explosion reaction in the bloodstream. Everyone in Mario’s path was at a dangerous state.

First, Mario lifted his timid father by his clothing and then dropped him facedown like a stuffed trash bag heavily impacted with waste. Next, he ran frantically through his parents’ house, tossing, ripping, and destroying any and everything in his pathway. When he ran into the bathroom, he saw his reflection in the newly stained glass shower door his parents had just installed. The force of his body hit the glass, shattering the shower door in pieces. For several days, he came in and out of consciousness. The strong force of the impact knocked him unconscious. He was hanging on by threads and needles. His parents did not give up on him, even though he was barely surviving.

The PCP drug became so popular that it coined the name angel dust. The results of taking the drug were far more traumatic than a soft adorable angel. The angel made its debut all over South Central Los Angeles, spreading its wings in homes, apartments, and shacks. It evaded families, broke up