Porn vs. Promises

Pornography has become a national epidemic not only in the USA, but throughout the world.

Consider the following statistics:

· Porn accounts for 23% of retail sails on-line.

· 50% of Christian men are addicted to porn

· 20% of Christian women struggle with porn

· 47% of families say that porn is a problem in the home

· 54% of pastors admit to struggling with online porn

· 40 million people visit porn sites daily

· Porn revenue is larger than all combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises.

· Porn accounts for 70 billion dollars a year worldwide.

· 13 billion dollar here in the US.

· 30% of unsolicited e-mail contains pornographic material.

1 Peter 2:11 admonishes us to abstain from fleshly lusts that wage war against your very souls.

There is a battle raging for the souls of men and women of every age, especially our teenagers and children. It amazes me what they are exposed to at such an early age. If we want to walk triumphantly over this epidemic, and experience the victory Jesus purchased for us with His own blood, then we have to take a stand and fight the good fight of faith.

We cannot afford to be passive, ignorant or unaware of the enemy’s schemes.

Nehemiah 4:14 encourages us with these words: “Don’t be afraid of the enemy. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

It is time to fight for your life, your home, your marriage, your family, your kids, and your grandkids. Following is a three-part battle plan to help you and your loved ones deal with this national epidemic and experience the love and liberty God has in store for you.

How to Successfully Fight and Win the Battle with Pornography:

STEP ONE: Repent and Renounce It

To repent means to change your mind, and go the other direction.

To renounce means to abandon, to give it up, and to put it aside.

Proverbs 28:13 promises us that, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

The first step to overcoming is to acknowledge there is a problem, and then commit to turning away and abandoning the issue. You cannot overcome what you are willing to tolerate!

STEP TWO: Remove All Sources of Temptation

2 Timothy 2:22 instructs us to “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

Your life is determined by two things: what you run away from and what you run after. What are you pursuing? In order to maintain your victory, you have to deal with and get rid of corrupting influences.

That means you may need to cancel paid subscription TV channels like HBO or Cinemax. You definitely need an Internet filter on your computer, especially if you have teenagers. It is your obligation and responsibility to protect them. It is natural for them to be curious, but you do not want that curiosity to lead down a path that can negatively impact their lives for the rest of their lives.

Follow are some resources to consider:

· www.internetsafety.com

· www.covenanteyes.com

· www.x3watch.com

· www.mymobilewatchdog.com

· www.spectorsoft.com

(Spectorsoft allows you to monitor all cell phone usage including texts, email, chat conversations, and phone usage)

· www.xxxchurch.com

· www.x3pure.com (30 day on-line workshop)

STEP THREE: Rely on God and His Word

The third step is to trust God for wisdom and strength to overcome and navigate the rough terrain of temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

God’s Word contains the power to bring itself to pass and produce victory in every area of your life. As you hide His Word in your heart, His Word will empower you to live victoriously in every area of your life.

1 Thess. 2:13 Amp

The Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

Following are several scripture verses the read, learn, and memorize.

Scriptures to Read, Learn and Memorize

Psalm 119:9-11

How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying your word. With all my heart I try to obey you. Don't let me break your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Matt. 12:35

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Matt. 15:19

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you.

Prov. 4:23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Prov. 25:28

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls or like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.

Titus 2:11,12

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness, it has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness, and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

Matt. 3:8

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

1 Tim. 6:11, 12

But you….are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Take hold of, or hold tightly to, or seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

2 Tim. 2:22

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

Eph. 5:3

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.

1 Thess. 4:3, 4

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—

Job 31:1

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.

Rom. 6:10f Message

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did. That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.

Rom. 6:10-13 NLT

When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life.

Matt. 26:41

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1 Cor. 10:13

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

John 8:31, 32 The Message

If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.

1 Thess. 2:13 Amp

The Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

1 Cor. 6:13,18-20 NCV

The body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. So run away from sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies.You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.

GHOSTS, VAMPIRES AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL BEINGS

In light of Halloween this month, and all the recent TV shows on ghosts, and movies about vampires, I felt the need to address our obsession with these supernatural issues.

So instead of reinventing the wheel, following is a blog from my pastor and friend, David Brown. He addressed the issues here so thoroughly that I couldn’t think of a way to improve on it.  Enjoy!

It came to my attention just this week that we’ve had a considerable amount of interest in ghosts of late.  People have called and wanted to know about them.  Some believe they’ve spotted one.  They sometimes seem a little puzzled by our lack of faith in Casper and his more sinister counterparts.

It’s true folks.  I don’t believe in ghosts.  Nor does any member of our pastoral staff…at least not as far as I know.  Why not?  Because the Bible doesn’t mention them…except to say that someone “thought” they saw one. 

One day, Jesus came walking on the water to meet his disciples in the middle of the Sea.  (A strange place to board a boat!)  Surprised by his sudden maritime approach, the Bible says that the disciples began to scream because they thought they were seeing “a spirit” (That’s King Jimmy for “a ghost” See Mark 6:49).  But it wasn’t a ghost.  It was Jesus.  It was a case of mistaken identity.  And so it is with every ghost sighting.  What people take for ghosts are really something else…or someone else.  It could be the wind, or their eyes playing tricks on them, or even their fear.  Then again, it could be a real supernatural being called “a spirit”.

There are spirits!  God is a spirit.  Satan is a spirit.  Angels and demons are spirits and you are a spirit as well.  Every human is a spiritual being.  Being spiritual beings ourselves, spirits can at times, contact us, affect us, or even communicate with us.  But these spirits aren’t ghosts.  They are not the disembodied souls of dead people.  When a person dies he immediately goes to either heaven or hell.  There is no purgatory, no limbo and no lingering spirits of deceased people who need to finish something or set something straight before finding rest.

Can a demonic spirit pose as a ghost?  Sure.  I’m convinced that while most séances are total fakery, there is the possibility of modern day necromancers actually making contact with demon spirits.  These demons have been around for thousands of years, have observed humans and their families making it possible to mimic dead relatives and to know facts that we assume only our loved ones could know.  Demonic spirits can become familiar with people, thus the term “familiar spirits” mentioned in Scripture.

So what am I saying?  Ghosts are a sham.  While a seemingly innocent ghost story being told around the campfire or seeing a movie about ghosts can provide a little entertainment value…the truth is there are no ghosts, just demon posers…and a lot of human imagination.

Good news!  Jesus gave us power and authority over all demon spirits.  (See Luke 10:19)  If you actually ever do run up on a genuine, bona fide, demon spirit in ghostly manifestation, just quote God’s word (See Jesus’ satanic temptation in the wilderness) and use the Name of Jesus on him (Mark 16:17)!  He will run away from you.  (See Mark 16:17 and James 4:7)

Oh yeah…and about those vampires.  They’re not real either.

How the Best Get Better

This blog is actually from an email I received from the Goals Guy, Gary Ryan Blair. Blunt, to the point, but eye opening. Learn. Grow. Change.

All around the world, a pervasive recession continues, but it is not universal.

It is an assault on mediocrity. Mediocre performers on a global scale are under attack and for good reason.

Mediocre performers demonstrate these common characteristics:

They are almost always late for work,

They are more than often unprepared,

They demonstrate an apathetic attitude,

They are undependable and inconsistent,

They focus on problems rather than solutions,

They do not innovate, take initiative, nor go the extra mile,

They choose to make excuses rather than take responsibility,

They do not add value; in fact they rob value form the customer,

They constantly make mistakes that cost time and money to be corrected.

The facts are simple, in today's economy these demonstrated behaviors put mediocre performers in a position of being unemployable.

The jobs they had are NOT coming back and they must raise their game.

There are NO OTHER OPTIONS.

Let me be perfectly clear on this point, there's never a good time to be mediocre, but a recession punishes those who are inflicted with this disease.

As far as employment opportunities are concerned, it's cherry picking time for smart managers and entrepreneurs.

Why?

Top performers are in high demand now, as they have always been and companies do not have to settle for knuckleheads.

They lead in the cone of innovation. They focus on solving customer problems. They invent and innovate to create a better experience for customers. The constantly go the extra mile as a discipline and they are committed to excellence and doing things right the first time.

In doing so, they provide their own companies with new solutions and offerings. These professionals and their companies are never at the mercy of a downturn.

They are highly sought after, because no matter what, they are devising solutions; they are providing answers.

Therefore commit your life, career and every effort to excellence as a commitment to excellence and a massive dose of self-reliance are mandatory success requirements for EVERY profession.

What Does It REALLY Mean to Follow Christ

Hypocrisy! You see it everywhere. People SAY one thing, but LIVE entirely different. No where is that more obvious (and damaging) than with those who claim to be followers of Christ. 

I shared the following scriptures with a friend from church who was frustrated with some of his co-workers. They all SAID they were believers, but they just didn’t see the relevance of going to church, tithing or doing other similar things most mature Christians consider a “normal” part of their walk with God. They were content to only believe. Their philosophy was as long as you believe in “the Man upstairs” everything is fine. Really? Is that ALL there is to it?

James 2:19 NLT says, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”

So obviously following Christ means more than just acknowledging the existence of a Divine Being.

Thus the inspiration for this blog.

The problem most people make is they don't truly understand the word believe. To believe in Jesus means to trust, to place confidence in and to be committed to Him. Commitment produces the byproduct of obedience. In other words, if I REALLY trust Him, then I will OBEY Him.

Matt. 7:21 NLT
Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Matt. 7:21 The Message
"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills.

Matt. 15:8
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

James 2:14, 17 NLT
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds (obedience), it is dead and useless.

Titus 1:16 NLT
Some people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live.

Titus 1:16 The Message
They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words.

I want to be clear, we are NOT saved by our good works or acts of obedience, but we are saved to do good works. Salvation is more than just a cheap prayer that doesn't impact our entire lives. True salvation revolutionizes the way we live. It prompts our obedience. That doesn't mean we're perfect, or we don't have issues or struggles, but salvation produces a heart change that desires to please and follow God no matter what the cost. IF that is NOT the heart of someone who professes to believe, they probably need to revisit the Cross.

Habits

It’s been said, you make your habits and then your habits make you. In other words, your habits will determine your future. A habit is defined as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” Consistent choices determine the habits that are developed in each area of our lives. So since we have a choice in the matter, why do we settle for bad habits that limit what we really desire out of life?

One of the reasons is because bad habits usually don’t show up until much later in life. They usually don’t cause us too much pain initially, but eventually there will always be consequences. One of the most underestimated and powerful habits you can develop in your life as a believer is the habit of going to church on a weekly basis!

You may be thinking, “I know pastor, I need to get to church, it’s important, my kids need it, blah, blah, blah.” So to help you realize the power of this habit, let’s look to our Ultimate role model & Redeemer. How did Jesus view church attendance?

In Luke, chapter two, we see that when Jesus was twelve years old he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year. After the celebration was over they started back home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind. His parents assumed He was with friends among the other travelers, but when He didn’t show up, they started to look for him.

“After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And He said to them, “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:41-49)

Our ultimate goal in life is to be conformed into the image of Christ, (Rom. 8:29) and to be about our Father’s business as well. Notice that Jesus equated being in the temple, going to church, being in God’s house, learning, asking questions and growing as “being about His Father’s business.”

In light of that, are you about your Father’s business? Can we find you in the temple each week?

I realize how easy it is to get out of the habit of attending church each week. Life gets busy; you have to work overtime some weekends, the kids’ catch a cold, life happens. And before you know it, it’s been weeks, months, maybe even close to a year or so since you’ve been to church. Then there is the dilemma of not wanting to answer the infamous question “So, where have YOU been?”, when you finally do decide to attend again.

But you HAVE to break that habit. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not neglect our church meetings, as is the habit of some people, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back is drawing near.”

Jesus had the habit of going to church (the Temple). Luke 4:16 says that “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.” He went as usual. In other words, this wasn’t a hit and miss occasion for him; it was a habit. Up to 90% of our normal behavior is based on habits. Once a new habit is well-developed, it becomes your new normal behavior. Make going to church your “normal” behavior and start being about your Father’s business starting this week!

The Power and Potential of Correction

Following is an email I sent to my staff. I have the greatest staff in the world! I thought you would enjoy an "inside look" at some of the things we discuss and deal with as we grow in our personal and positional leadership. Here it is:

Dear Team,

Some of you may have noticed or felt more input, comment, or correction from me lately. Being an exhorter, it can be extremely difficult for me to say what displeases me. Us exhorters like to encourage people, not correct them. And on top of that, we like to be liked, and who likes being corrected or confronted.

However, as I’ve grown personally and in my leadership, I’ve realized that failing to correct people is doing them a major disservice. And it’s actually selfish of me to not to correct or confront you. How is it selfish? By not doing it, I am placing a higher value on what is better for me (not being uncomfortable dealing with an issue, fear of rejection or not being liked, and especially having my motives for correcting you being misunderstood or taken personally) rather than what is beneficial for you.

That is wrong, and it’s weak leadership. So please bear with me. I believe it’s important to cultivate a “culture of correction.” That is how we all learn and grow personally as well as in our positions.

The ONLY way we grow is though CHANGE; the only way we change is when we are CORRECTED. We could put it this way: CORECTION produces CHANGE produces CHARACTER.

So let me encourage you with this regarding any correction or confrontation you get from me:

1. NEVER take correction personally! It is NOT a personal attack. I strive to confront behavior, an attitude, or some action or decision you made, NOT you as a person. So PLEASE make my job easier and don’t get offended, think I don’t like you anymore, or allow any other ungodly thoughts to consume your thinking process. If I correct you, it’s because I DO love you, care about you, and want you to excel and fulfill your full potential.

2. ALWAYS be open to correction. Don’t allow yourself to become defensive or to make excuses for your behavior or attitude. And realize that we ALL have “blind spots” in our lives that we may not see or negative attitudes we may not be aware of. (Case in point: a few weeks ago, I was edgy with Jose. I got impatient when he didn’t immediately get a chord progression we practiced the previous Tuesday. However, I didn’t even realize that I offended him until it was brought to my attention. So I apologize to him and made sure our relationship was ok.) I think we need way more of that in our church, but I believe it begins with US as STAFF and leaders. We need to thicken up, toughen up and be able to take it as well as dish it out. Can you imagine where we could be if we ALL could be brutally honest with each other w/o fear that “so and so” is going to get offended, or get their feelings hurt. And then there is the game of saying you’re not offended, but God and everybody knows that you are because you get all quiet and subdued. Come on team, we are better than that! Let’s grow up….together.

3. REMEMBER the motive of authentic spiritual leaders is to HELP people bring to reality all their potential in Christ! Leaders don’t corrector confront because they don’t have anything better to do with their time. If they bring up an issue, attitude, decision you made, etc. that they didn’t like, it’s because they love you, care about you, and believe in you. So allow them to speak into your life and benefit from the covering that God has so graciously provided you.

Run Forest, Run

Hope you are staying cool in the midst of our continuous three digit West Texas summer temperatures. As many of you know, I enjoy running. (It allows me the luxury of eating almost anything I want and more importantly, however much I want.) With the temperature being in the 90's even in the morning, it takes its toll on your body and really messes with your goals of trying to improve your time.

I knew that the heat obviously played a roll in my running performance, but I didn't realize how much until I read an interesting article in the current issue of Runner's World. I discovered that every five-degree rise in temperature above 60 degrees can slow your pace up to 20 to 30 seconds per mile! That means if you normally run a 9-minute mile, but it's 100 degrees outside, it can slow you down to an 11 minute mile. You run two minutes a mile slower just because of the heat.

Well I discovered that there is a spiritual correlation in our walk with the Lord. When we allow the pressures of life (heat) to captivate our focus, it slows us down spiritually as well. We aren't as peaceful, powerful or productive in the tasks God assigned each of us to do. And obviously we can't escape all the pressures of this world...not yet anyway. So, how do we maintain our pace in the midst of the "heat" of life?

Acts 3:19 and Isaiah 40:31 give us some tremendous insight:

So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.

As we keep our minds stayed on Him, we are refreshed by His Presence. So if you've been feeling "faint" lately, or you've seemed to have lost your drive and motivation. Then remember that "those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."