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Monthly Archives: October 2009
It is the elephant in the room for Christ-followers. The iceberg that sinks the Titanic. The great deceiver. The destroyer of marriages – and missionaries – and ministries. The prison that holds millions in bondage.
Check out these statistics:
50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to porn. ChristiaNet
47% of families said pornography is a problem in the home. Focus on the Family
37% of pastors say cyber-porn is a current struggle. Christianity Today, 12/2001
A Pastors.com website survey found that 54% of pastors surveyed viewed Internet porn within the last year. 30% had visited within the last 30 days. Pastors.com
53% of Promise Keepers viewed porn in the last week. Internet Filter Review
Alabama Baptist survey found that 4 of our 10 pastors and 7 out of 10 church leaders admitted to visiting adults web sites at least once a week.
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH PORN, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
You can win! Please – do three things:
1. Check out the resources at www.porntopurity.com
2. Tell a trusted friend. Come clean. Puke it out. Let the tears wash the shame out.
3. Install Covenant Eyes today – right now! Enlist accountability partners who love you, and whose computer you cannot access.
The fundamental thing is that Christianity is about Jesus…Christianity is not a teaching—it is a person…The Lord Jesus Christ was the theme of the preaching of the early church…This is the tragic thing that has been forgotten at the present time. ‘What we need,’ people say, ‘is the application of his teaching.’ But it is not. What you need is to know him and to come into relationship with him.
Dr. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Don Carson wrote an article entitled, “What to Do If Revival Comes” in the January/February 2003 issue of Modern Reformation magazine.
In the article Carson recounted a conversation he and his wife had in 1975 with an elderly woman in a Calvinist Methodist church in southern Wales. The woman spoke excitedly of how she had been converted during the Welsh Revival of 1904 to 1905. Carson used this exchange to draw out a lesson from church history:
It was an inexpressibly glorious half hour, and equally sad. For apart from the fruit of that Revival in the lives of those who were immediately touched by it, almost nothing was preserved. That Revival started so well but soon became more eccentric and forced. Worse, despite small efforts later in Swansea, almost nothing was done to capture or develop theological schools, multiply Bible teaching, or train a new generation of preachers.
My interest in revival has not waned with the passing years. Wider reading, and some humbling personal exposure to what God has done in various corners of the world during the past half century, have conspired to forge an unshakable resolution within me. Should the Lord in his mercy ever pour out large-scale revival on any part of the world where I have influence, I shall devote all my energy to teaching the Word, to training a new generation of godly pastors, to channeling all of this God-given fervor toward doctrinal maturity, multiplication of Christian leaders, evangelistic zeal, maturity in Christ, genuine Christian “fellowship.”
This conviction captures well what we are trying to do at The Gospel Coalition. Lord willing, when Revival comes we will be ready to compliment the efforts of the local church to preserve the outpouring of God’s grace for future generations of gospel ministry.
“There should be no less support or attention for an earnest Christian young person who has been accepted to the Julliard School of Music than for one going off to seminary. The church needs writers, performers, artists, speakers, politicians, businessmen, and workers in every craft and trade. In God’s eyes there is no hierarchy. There certainly should not be in ours.” Bob Briner, Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan to Radically Change Your World.
A man may be called to preach the gospel in the same place for years, and he may, at times, feel burdened by the thought of having to address the same audience, on the same theme, week after week, month after month, year after year. He may feel at times at a loss for something new, something fresh, some variet.
It will greatly help such to remember that the one grand theme of the preacher is Christ. The power to handle that theme is the Holy Ghost; and the one to whom that theme is to be unfolded is the poor lost sinner.
Now Christ is ever new; the power of the Spirit is ever fresh; the soul’s condition and destiny ever intensely interesting.
Furthermore, it is well for the preacher to bear in mind, on every fresh occasion to rising to preach, that those to whom he preaches are really ignorant of the gospel, and hence he should preach as though it were the very first time his audience had ever heard the message, and the first time he had ever delivered.
To preach the gospel is really to unfold the heart of God, the person and work of Christ; and all this by the present energy of the Holy Ghost, from the exhaustless treasury of holy Scripture.” C H McIntosh, Notes on Numbers, 1869
These are my girls…
Sadie is 18 months
Eloise is 3 years old
Ruthe is 29.
When you have it, you look better than you are. When you don’t have it, you’re better than you look.
Some people are so low key they can’t experience burnout because they’ve never been on fire.
Momentum is created; it does not randomly occur. And it requires our best efforts.
The Momentum Theorem: “Focused Intensity over Time, multiplied by God, creates unstoppable Momentum.”
Focus is in short supply in a distracted, short-attention-span culture.
Focus is lost for two reasons: fear, and greed.
Focus on what you need to do now! Practice, practice, practice.
Intensity must be poured into things that matter.
Don’t put a fish on the car if you’re not going to drive it well!
I hope football fans who paint themselves blue, also put that much intensity into something that matters.
Intensity causes things to move.
Over time means the effort must be sustained. Stick with it. The best book on this: “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Even if you’re slow and ugly, stick with it. Keep going. Winning demands perseverance.
This can’t be done along. God is the one who multiplies our efforts. Get plugged in to Him as a power source.
The result is upstoppable momentum.
Winston Churchill’s famous speech: Never give up, never give up, never, never, never give up!
Five statements worth remembering during your next 50 years of leadership
1) Whatever you do, do more with others and less alone
2) Whenever you do it, emphasize quality not quantity.
3) Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you best.
4) Whoever may respond, keep a level head.
5) However long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace
Chuck Swindoll accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at Catalyst 09. He offered the following lessons he has learned:
1. It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.
2. It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually he uses leaders who have been crushed.
3. It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in Seminary.
4. It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.
5. It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7. Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.
8. Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image. But it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.
9. God’s way is better than my way.
10.Christlikeness begins and ends with humility.
Do you sense a kind of malaise among Christ-followers?
What has happened to zeal? Passion? Being on fire? Fervency? Intensity? Wholeheartedness? Risk-taking?
Deut 6 states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
I agree with Ray Ortlund:
Through the years, whenever I’ve seen people who showed a capacity for intensity and passion and wholeheartedness, I’ve been drawn to them. And I am repelled by listlessness, especially my own…. Moderate love is a sin. Maybe the worst sin.
St. Augustine said it well, “Give me a man in love. He knows what I mean.”
O Jesus, renew my zeal. I want to burn – fervent in spirit, serving you. Renew the first love for you.
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
Several years ago, the church I serve changed its name from First Evangelical Church to Hope Church. It was a decision 10 years in the making, with much input from the congregation and much prayer.
The following is a list of actual church names- perhaps they should consider a name change.
Accident Baptist Church is obviously not Calvinist.
First Church of the Last Chance World on Fire Revival and Military Academy (in Dade City FL). These folks have the first and last word on just about any subject. I don’t even want to ask what sort of military they are training.
Greater Second Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, stands in contrast, I guess, to the not so great second Baptist church around the corner?
For those who do not want to commit all the way, you can go to the Halfway Baptist Church.
On the other hand, Hell Hole Swamp Baptist Church in South Carolina is not a seeker sensitive church by any stretch of the imagination. You have to be really committed to attend this church; none of those “Halfway Baptists” will be found here.
Of course everyone is welcome at Faith Free Lutheran. Like “sugar free” this is a church that contains no calories, convictions…or miracles.
Little Hope Baptist Church sounds a tad better than another church called No Hope United Methodist Church. Kind of makes you sad just saying it.
My personal favorite church name: Original Church of God, Number 2. I really can’t think of anything to add that could possibly be funnier than the name itself…except for perhaps number 3.
Boring Seventh Day Adventist Church is another one of those “truth in advertising” names, but this church goes the extra mile because the name of their pastor is Elder Dull. Perhaps there are more exciting ways to spend your Saturday?
Harmony Baptist Church in East Texas is a name that doesn’t sound so bad. The funny thing is that it is only a half-mile away from Harmony Baptist Church #2. I guess they are not so harmonious after all.
Battle Ground Baptist Church…aren’t they all?
Waterproof Baptist Church in Louisiana begs the question: does the baptism count if you’re water repellant?
Country Club Christian Church is in Kansas City, but you’re actually likely to find some of these in every city. This may be the fastest growing model of church in America.
James Bond United Community Church in Toronto, is of course “shaken, not stirred.”
St. Martini Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, is also shaken, and not stirred and comes with an olive or a twist of lemon if you prefer. Of course the Lutherans can actually drink a Martini so I guess it isn’t such a stretch to name your church after one, or is it.
When Paul spoke of being all things to all people I doubt that he had this in mind: First United Separated Baptist Church. This church in Indiana needs to decide which it is, united or separated?
Hell For Certain is a church in Kentucky but for some reason they do not have too many visitors, no one wants to go there. Does their advertisement in the yellow pages read: Go to Hell For Certain, Sunday at 10 AM?
There is also Hell Seventh Day Adventist Church, which is in Hell, MI. You could say: people are dying to go there!
Lover’s Lane Episcopal Church is a very open church, but watch out if someone wants to show you the submarine races in the baptismal pool…their Episcopal, they sprinkle.
Comments from here
Russell Moore, of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary writes….
If you pay a little attention right now to David Letterman, you could learn something critical about carrying the gospel to your neighbors, and to yourself.
I’m not talking about re-tooling some Christian version of the late night comedian’s “Top Ten Lists” or his “Stupid Pet Tricks.” I’m not talking about his cynical humor, or emotionally detached coolness. I’m talking about why he was so scared of a blackmailer’s extortion.
We’ve all been there.
Last week Letterman started off a segment on his nationally-broadcast program “The Late Show” by telling his viewers a “story.” The studio audience, laughing along, seemed not to be able to tell, at first, if this was a set-up for a joke or a skit, but it became clear this wasn’t a gag.
Letterman said that he had gotten into his car at six in the morning one day to find an envelope in his car, an envelope with details and evidence of Letterman’s sexual affairs with women on his staff. The extortionist wanted two million dollars or he’d make it all public in a screenplay or book.
At first glance, this is just another celebrity soap opera, and, frankly speaking, not a particularly shocking one. What interests me, though, is not that Letterman was doing “terrible things.” What else would I expect a man outside of Christ to do?
What’s interesting to me is that the blackmail scared Letterman, and the reasons why.
Letterman said the extortion note was disturbing, first of all, because he feared the mysterious correspondent was watching him. Someone who knew this much about his life, would this figure be tapping him on the shoulder from the shadows? Pulling him into the back of the car?
Letterman also, though, was upset by the note because it was true.
Letterman acknowledged to his viewers that he had, in fact, had sex with women on the “Late Show” staff. He also said that seeing his “terrible things” there in print, with evidence for it all, in front of him, made him feel “creepy.” Even in his deadpan comedic, “aw shucks this ain’t so bad” wink-and-grin performance, we can hear a terror, a terror that is common to humanity.
If the envelope in the car had accused Letterman of being a member of an Islamic terrorist cell, he might have still been worried that the crazed writer was around, but, after getting out of the parking garage, Letterman wouldn’t have been, in his words, “menaced” by the accusations. Why not?
C. S. Lewis married Joy Davidman. After she died, he wrote a painfully honest book – A Grief Observed. It was his attempt to work through his grief. At one point, Lewis wrote:
She is in God’s hands. That gains new energy when I think of her as a sword. Perhaps the earthly life I shared with her was only part of the tempering. Perhaps he grasps the hilt, weighs the new weapon, makes lightning in the air. She is a right Jerusalem blade.
What a picture of God’s work in our lives – tempering, sharpening, making us “right Jerusalem blades.”
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