Well, as most everyone knows, the housing industry has taken a major hit this year. As a mortgage originator, I've definitely felt the crunch...and so has my bank account. As of June I started working other jobs besides mortgages to try and make ends meet. Here are some of the odd-jobs and positions I've filled temporarily just since June...
Manager of an apartment complex
Mainenance guy for a rental management company
Landscaping and lawn care
Cutting and selling firewood
Construction
Metal fabrication/machine shop
So, I've gained a lot of experience and knowledge in a very short amount of time. I counted it all up today and realized that I'm turning into one of those guys that has pretty much been there and done it all as far as jobs go. Hopefully in the near future something steady and solid will land and I can take a break from all the hat-switching for a while.
As stressful as it has been, I'm thankful. Each position and job has given me new skills, provided income for my family during this season of financial drought, and given me something new to praise God for. It hasn't all been fun or easy, and it has most definitely frustrated me more times than I care to recall, but a while back I got a word from God that has helped get me through...
Diamonds are created be enormous amounts of heat and pressure, and when we come through this, we are going to sparkle and shine... That speaks two main things to me. The first and most hope-inspiring - - There will be an end. I won't have to struggle and scrape like this forever. Secondly, God's doing something in me that is going to leave an everlasting mark. I'm going to be uncommon, full of value and worth. God is shaping me, molding me, firing and crushing me because he has something huge in store for my life and for the ministry of my wife and myself.
The bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Basically, the seed of faith gets planted by God's word, whether that be through the bible or through a sermon or a specific prophetic word or whatever. Faith moves mountains and changes things. I cannot tell you the vast amounts of faith and hope that the simple statement above has given to my wife and I through this time of trial. No matter how dark the day or how lousy I feel or how much I wallow in doubt and despair, deeper than deep down, I know that God is going to bring us through to the other side and cause us to be vessels of uncommon value and worth.
I think I wrote all this more for me than for anyone else, but I hope it blesses someone who reads it.
Cheers, and God bless!
Hoss
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
First Reaction...Bad News
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!" -- John 20 (NLT)
As I was getting ready for bed, I grabbed my bible and flipped it open. It landed on John 20 and God dropped a really interesting thought on me. Here we find a distraught Mary Magdalene reacting to a situation and delivering bad news to two of the disciples. Her first reaction to seeing the stone rolled away was bad news.
We as humans have a terrible tendency to imagine the worst when we are faced with a situation. Mark Twain might have put it best when he said "I've dealt with many crisis in my life, but few of them will ever happen." Our imaginations can run away with our emotions and cause us to lose hope and faith. Sometimes, what appears to be a dire situation is actually the beginning of a miracle much larger than we could ever imagine. Next time you are faced with difficulty or on the surface it appears that the situation has turned very ugly, stop and pray and ask God to show you what you are missing. You just might see that your dark situation or storm is actually the hand of God moving situations or moving you to a place of blessing.
Cheers and God bless!
Hoss
As I was getting ready for bed, I grabbed my bible and flipped it open. It landed on John 20 and God dropped a really interesting thought on me. Here we find a distraught Mary Magdalene reacting to a situation and delivering bad news to two of the disciples. Her first reaction to seeing the stone rolled away was bad news.
Now although the scripture doesn't mention this fact, we know that Mary didn't immediately remember Christs words about resurrection. She didn't remember the prophecies of the Messiah being crucified and rising again. She saw the situation and immediately thought the worst..."Someone stole his body!" She was so wrapped up in what she believed to be the worst-case scenario that she didn't even see the fact that she was the first to uncover the absolute greatest miracle ever.
We as humans have a terrible tendency to imagine the worst when we are faced with a situation. Mark Twain might have put it best when he said "I've dealt with many crisis in my life, but few of them will ever happen." Our imaginations can run away with our emotions and cause us to lose hope and faith. Sometimes, what appears to be a dire situation is actually the beginning of a miracle much larger than we could ever imagine. Next time you are faced with difficulty or on the surface it appears that the situation has turned very ugly, stop and pray and ask God to show you what you are missing. You just might see that your dark situation or storm is actually the hand of God moving situations or moving you to a place of blessing.
Cheers and God bless!
Hoss
Monday, September 1, 2008
God Can Use Flawed People
According to the FreshFire.ca website, home of Fresh Fire Ministries of Todd Bentley and Florida Healing Outpouring fame, Todd Bentley and his wife are seperated and Todd has stepped down from the board of the ministry he started due to entering into an unhealthy relationship with a female staff member.
Now what really sucks about this is that Todd's marital and personal problems are going to further the controversy of the Lakeland revival. Any time you have a move of God, you have a move of flesh. For every genuine move of the Holy Spirit, you will inevitably have people acting out of emotionalism or a desire for attention. However, that doesn't discredit or disprove the touch of God. Through personal experience, my wife and I were genuinely blessed by the Holy Spirit and ministered to through watching the revival on GodTV.
It's really sad, yet amazing and a beautiful insight into God's grace. As the God of the universe, omnipotent and omniscient, God knew that Todd would make mistakes and, whether he cheated sexually or not, damage his relationship with his wife. Yet God used Todd anyways to deliver revival and healing to hundreds of thousands if not millions of people all over the globe.
Due to Todd's mistakes, there will be thousands of Christians that point the finger of judgement and say "Ha! I knew he was a fake! I knew the revival was a false move!" To those people, I say the following. I am only one guy and can only speak from my own experience, but God used Todd Bentley and his ministry in a great way. And though Todd has fallen, we shouldn't lump God and Todd into the same category. If anything, this shows us that EVERYONE, regardless of fame, religious prominence or projected holiness, desperately needs God's grace and forgiveness.
This is another reason why we should worship God and not a man. How many of us make mistakes on a daily basis? Most of us are blessed with relative anonymity when compared to a preacher in front of a camera being broadcast to over 100 nations. When in the spotlight you are under a microscope...a bug in a jar. Every mistake you make gets amplified and magnified and people expect nothing short of Christ-like perfection. As we all know, those expecations are not realistic and when they aren't met, as humans we feel hurt and let down and so we lash out in our religious zeal. We need to keep in mind that whole moat-beam in the eye thing...
I hope I do not sound like I'm condoning or excusing indecent or possibly cheating behavior or that I'm excusing Bentley's bad behavior in whatever form it occured. I'm simply saying that people should not discredit God's moving simply because of human error.
On a totally different note, today I saw a video of Louie Giglio speaking about the vastness of the universe, the massive size of several stars in comparison to the earth, and the amazingness of the human body. God is so much bigger than we can fathom, and though we are so insignificant in comparison to the massiveness of the ever expanding universe, God loves us and we are ever in the palm of his hand. Do some YouTube searching and check it out. It will absolutely wreck you and bring you to a whole new level of admiration and wonder for this amazing God we serve who breathes out stars and hangs this world on nothing. His signature is everywhere and it is truly indescribable.
Now what really sucks about this is that Todd's marital and personal problems are going to further the controversy of the Lakeland revival. Any time you have a move of God, you have a move of flesh. For every genuine move of the Holy Spirit, you will inevitably have people acting out of emotionalism or a desire for attention. However, that doesn't discredit or disprove the touch of God. Through personal experience, my wife and I were genuinely blessed by the Holy Spirit and ministered to through watching the revival on GodTV.
It's really sad, yet amazing and a beautiful insight into God's grace. As the God of the universe, omnipotent and omniscient, God knew that Todd would make mistakes and, whether he cheated sexually or not, damage his relationship with his wife. Yet God used Todd anyways to deliver revival and healing to hundreds of thousands if not millions of people all over the globe.
Due to Todd's mistakes, there will be thousands of Christians that point the finger of judgement and say "Ha! I knew he was a fake! I knew the revival was a false move!" To those people, I say the following. I am only one guy and can only speak from my own experience, but God used Todd Bentley and his ministry in a great way. And though Todd has fallen, we shouldn't lump God and Todd into the same category. If anything, this shows us that EVERYONE, regardless of fame, religious prominence or projected holiness, desperately needs God's grace and forgiveness.
This is another reason why we should worship God and not a man. How many of us make mistakes on a daily basis? Most of us are blessed with relative anonymity when compared to a preacher in front of a camera being broadcast to over 100 nations. When in the spotlight you are under a microscope...a bug in a jar. Every mistake you make gets amplified and magnified and people expect nothing short of Christ-like perfection. As we all know, those expecations are not realistic and when they aren't met, as humans we feel hurt and let down and so we lash out in our religious zeal. We need to keep in mind that whole moat-beam in the eye thing...
I hope I do not sound like I'm condoning or excusing indecent or possibly cheating behavior or that I'm excusing Bentley's bad behavior in whatever form it occured. I'm simply saying that people should not discredit God's moving simply because of human error.
On a totally different note, today I saw a video of Louie Giglio speaking about the vastness of the universe, the massive size of several stars in comparison to the earth, and the amazingness of the human body. God is so much bigger than we can fathom, and though we are so insignificant in comparison to the massiveness of the ever expanding universe, God loves us and we are ever in the palm of his hand. Do some YouTube searching and check it out. It will absolutely wreck you and bring you to a whole new level of admiration and wonder for this amazing God we serve who breathes out stars and hangs this world on nothing. His signature is everywhere and it is truly indescribable.
Monday, June 9, 2008
My Experience with the Florida Revival
I am highly skeptical when it comes to televangelists and Benny Hinn-ish "moves of God." The whole "bam" touch on the forehead and the person falls out just was never something I could wrap my head around. It always looked phony to me. Over the last few weeks, I've realized why it looked so fake to me, and I had to repent.
My wife and I have been watching the live revival from Lakeland, FL that is being televised live on GodTV (channel 365 on DirecTV) for about 10 days now. You can read about the revival elsewhere, so I won't go into a long explanation about what it is and what's going on, other than to say that God is radically healing, saving, and delivering thousands through this revival. The Holy Spirit taught me a great lesson about myself. I consider myself a bit of a forward-thinker and someone who doesn't judge a book by its cover. Oh, how prideful of me.
The preacher of this revival is a guy named Todd Bentley. Todd is literally covered from knuckles to neck with tattoos. He has a pierced lip and pierced ears, preaches in jeans and t-shirts (like the one in the picture that says "Jesus Love Me and My Tattoos"), and wears gaudy, biker-type jewlery. No, he wasn't saved out of a biker gang, he got the majority of his tattoos since being saved at the age of 18. He looks nothing like the traditional preacher that I'm used to, and though I know the Bible does not condemn tattoos, it was still hard for me to believe the annointing of God could be so strongly on someone who looks so radically different from what I was used to seeing.
The first time I watched it, this tattooed, radical preacher was calling out various illnesses and diseases, praying against them, and then inviting people who had been healed in the crowd up onto the platform to testify. I was extremely skeptical until I saw a nine year old girl who was visibly paralyzed on her left side (the left side of her face was visibly drooping) due to a brain tumor. Todd prayed, and then asked her if she felt anything. She spoke only spanish, so her family translated to her the question. She didn't reply in words, but rather lifted up her paralyzed left arm with a big smile on her face. Her face was not drooping any more. God healed her right in front of my eyes, live on GodTV. Okay, God...you have my attention.
Anyways, back to the human flaws. This revival didn't look like what I have grown up with in church. The preacher looked nothing like I've come to expect from ministers with that level of annointing. Therefore, I was highly skeptical of it, at moments (before the Holy Spirit gave me a tune-up) almost outraged by what I was seeing. It didn't look "normal" to me, so it had to be fake. The Holy Spirit indeed tuned me up and taught me a life changing little bit about myself. For being a forward-thinker, I still have pride. It's not necessarily my fault...I believe it's a human flaw.
As a matter of fact, I am certain there will be a few individuals that read this, look at Todd's picture, and have a self-righteous fit because "God doesn't look like that. He looks like a heathen. That's of the devil. That's a false doctrine." etc., etc.
Here's what it comes down to. We are to judge things and people by the fruit that is produced, not by appearances. "Well, he looks like the world with all those tattoos, and we are to be in the world but not of it." Grow up. Why does it look like the world? Because it doesn't look like you? Because it doesn't fit in your little holy box? If you are so arrogant and full of pride that you think the only genuine moves and men of God are the ones that look like you or line up with your ideas, you need to get a brand new revelation of who God is and how much bigger He is than any little box you could try and stuff him in.
Many churches fall into one of two dangerous ruts. The one puts God in a little box and unless something looks and sounds like their idea of God, it's not of God. On the other side, the attitude of non-traditionalism becomes the box. If it looks like a traditional move of God, they shut their heart doors. Both are absolutely wrong because they are putting God in a box. The key to receiving everything God has for you is to eliminate the box. Open your mind and judge things by the fruit. Who is being lifted up, man or Jesus? Are people being permanently changed by the power of God or are they wrapped up in emotionalism? Are people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus and coming to repentence? Are people growing deeper in their walk with God? Don't judge it because it doesn't look or sound like what you think it should. Make your decision based on an open-minded review of the fruits.
So what are the fruits of the Florida Outpouring? Thousands coming to salvation. Thousands being healed. Revival breaking out in other cities (and in my own life). People drawing closer to Jesus. As a personal testimony to the power of God in this revival, my wife and I were watching the worship service one night. We desperately needed a touch from God as we were overwhelmed by several circumstances going on in our lives. As we watched the worship service and prayed and worshpped God, the annointing fell in our bedroom and God ministered to our needs and dramatically touched us and spoke some things to us that increased our faith and gave us hope.
God is so much bigger than our little preconceptions. God is a radical God. Jesus came teaching, preaching, healing the sick and casting out demons. Do you know who hated Him? The holy, pious, religious Pharisees. Jesus came against the spirit of prideful religiosity and the Pharisees hated him for it. So the next time you step out to judge something or someone, stop and ask yourself "Am I being like Saul in persecuting Jesus by persecuting his followers?"
My wife and I have been watching the live revival from Lakeland, FL that is being televised live on GodTV (channel 365 on DirecTV) for about 10 days now. You can read about the revival elsewhere, so I won't go into a long explanation about what it is and what's going on, other than to say that God is radically healing, saving, and delivering thousands through this revival. The Holy Spirit taught me a great lesson about myself. I consider myself a bit of a forward-thinker and someone who doesn't judge a book by its cover. Oh, how prideful of me.
The preacher of this revival is a guy named Todd Bentley. Todd is literally covered from knuckles to neck with tattoos. He has a pierced lip and pierced ears, preaches in jeans and t-shirts (like the one in the picture that says "Jesus Love Me and My Tattoos"), and wears gaudy, biker-type jewlery. No, he wasn't saved out of a biker gang, he got the majority of his tattoos since being saved at the age of 18. He looks nothing like the traditional preacher that I'm used to, and though I know the Bible does not condemn tattoos, it was still hard for me to believe the annointing of God could be so strongly on someone who looks so radically different from what I was used to seeing.
The first time I watched it, this tattooed, radical preacher was calling out various illnesses and diseases, praying against them, and then inviting people who had been healed in the crowd up onto the platform to testify. I was extremely skeptical until I saw a nine year old girl who was visibly paralyzed on her left side (the left side of her face was visibly drooping) due to a brain tumor. Todd prayed, and then asked her if she felt anything. She spoke only spanish, so her family translated to her the question. She didn't reply in words, but rather lifted up her paralyzed left arm with a big smile on her face. Her face was not drooping any more. God healed her right in front of my eyes, live on GodTV. Okay, God...you have my attention.
Anyways, back to the human flaws. This revival didn't look like what I have grown up with in church. The preacher looked nothing like I've come to expect from ministers with that level of annointing. Therefore, I was highly skeptical of it, at moments (before the Holy Spirit gave me a tune-up) almost outraged by what I was seeing. It didn't look "normal" to me, so it had to be fake. The Holy Spirit indeed tuned me up and taught me a life changing little bit about myself. For being a forward-thinker, I still have pride. It's not necessarily my fault...I believe it's a human flaw.
As a matter of fact, I am certain there will be a few individuals that read this, look at Todd's picture, and have a self-righteous fit because "God doesn't look like that. He looks like a heathen. That's of the devil. That's a false doctrine." etc., etc.
Here's what it comes down to. We are to judge things and people by the fruit that is produced, not by appearances. "Well, he looks like the world with all those tattoos, and we are to be in the world but not of it." Grow up. Why does it look like the world? Because it doesn't look like you? Because it doesn't fit in your little holy box? If you are so arrogant and full of pride that you think the only genuine moves and men of God are the ones that look like you or line up with your ideas, you need to get a brand new revelation of who God is and how much bigger He is than any little box you could try and stuff him in.
Many churches fall into one of two dangerous ruts. The one puts God in a little box and unless something looks and sounds like their idea of God, it's not of God. On the other side, the attitude of non-traditionalism becomes the box. If it looks like a traditional move of God, they shut their heart doors. Both are absolutely wrong because they are putting God in a box. The key to receiving everything God has for you is to eliminate the box. Open your mind and judge things by the fruit. Who is being lifted up, man or Jesus? Are people being permanently changed by the power of God or are they wrapped up in emotionalism? Are people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus and coming to repentence? Are people growing deeper in their walk with God? Don't judge it because it doesn't look or sound like what you think it should. Make your decision based on an open-minded review of the fruits.
So what are the fruits of the Florida Outpouring? Thousands coming to salvation. Thousands being healed. Revival breaking out in other cities (and in my own life). People drawing closer to Jesus. As a personal testimony to the power of God in this revival, my wife and I were watching the worship service one night. We desperately needed a touch from God as we were overwhelmed by several circumstances going on in our lives. As we watched the worship service and prayed and worshpped God, the annointing fell in our bedroom and God ministered to our needs and dramatically touched us and spoke some things to us that increased our faith and gave us hope.
God is so much bigger than our little preconceptions. God is a radical God. Jesus came teaching, preaching, healing the sick and casting out demons. Do you know who hated Him? The holy, pious, religious Pharisees. Jesus came against the spirit of prideful religiosity and the Pharisees hated him for it. So the next time you step out to judge something or someone, stop and ask yourself "Am I being like Saul in persecuting Jesus by persecuting his followers?"
Here are a few links so you can check out the revival for yourself.
http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/29/1075189.aspx (MSNBC article)
Story of a woman being raised from the dead, followed by an article explaining the connection to the revival.
Cheers, and God bless!
Hoss
Hoss
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The other end of the spectrum...
I was doing some research for an essay/sermon the other day regarding what the Bible has to say about pornography. I googled terms like "bible pornography" and "christian pornography" as well as used http://www.blueletterbible.org/ to research the roots of some of the words in the bible like adultery and fornication. The greek word "pornea" is translated as fornication, and defined by anything sexually immoral, not just premarital sex.
In my searching, I came across some interesting websites (as you might imagine by googleing porn and christianity in the same search). There were a couple of websites that disturbed me and honestly opened my eyes to a few truths about the world in which we live and about the ugly nature of humanity.
The first website I found was about Christian Domestic Discipline. If you are thinking it sounds like a wife-spanking website, you are right. Husbands: your wives disobey, spank them like a 4 year old in K-Mart. They had scripture references to back up their point of view, which was sad for several reasons. The first, I believe they were taking the scripture to mean something completely different than what it actually meant. Secondly, they were using God's word and God's desire for the order of the family heirarchy or pecking order to give the husband the iron fist with which to rule. Biblically, children answer to mom and dad, mom answers to dad, and they all answer to God so the husband/dad better not abuse his authority and must love and resepect his wife and children as is instructed in God's word. That is very plain in the scripture. But in the Christian Domestic Discipline circles, they twist God's word to give the husband the OK to be a tyrannical brute and if his wife disobeys, she doesn't answer to God, she answers to his belt.
While the Christian Domestic Discipline was both amusing (how can people be so silly) and sad (how mislead and ignorant), the second website I came across truly disturbed me. No, there were no naked pictures of any sort. However, there was what I believe to be a false teaching there that was written in a very compelling manor and if people who read the content aren't spiritually and biblically grounded, they could easily be mislead and end up in a deep pit of shame, guilt, and pornography addiction.
The website I found was propagating Christian pornography. You can order DVDs from the company these people were supporting that showed "tasteful" videos of husbands and wives engaging in sexual activities. They used Song of Solomon as a justification, and because the actors engaging in these sexual activities on video are husband and wife couples, it's ok to watch. According to the website, Christian pornography is to educate Christians by example in how to have better sex.
The scary thing is, this article was well written and compelling. It caused me to stop, think, and question everything I've always been taught. The conclusion I reached is much, much different from the one thy were teaching from their website. I believe pornography, regardless of its form or how it is justified, is a sin. Pornography is a sin. It rips apart marriages, destroys families, and enslaves men and women (oh yeah...women look at porn too).
You may say "Alcoholism does the same thing, but moderate consumption of alcohol is not a sin. So wouldn't pornography be ok as long as it doesn't become bondage and it doesn't negatively affect a marriage?" These are two very, very different issues. I believe the moderate consumption of alcohol is a matter of personal liberty. It falls under "seek out your soul's salvation with fear and trembling." For some, alcohol is a stumblingblock because of a former lifestyle or an inability to control themselves, and should therefore be avoided. For others, alcohol is a liberty that can be enjoyed because it can be controlled and because it does not cause sin in that believers life.
As a sidenote to that, believers who feel and partake of that liberty must be careful not to be a stumblingblock to others. That is not to say we shouldn't have liberty at all because of the "perpetually offended" brothers and sisters in Christ. Rather we need to be cautious of the people we share that liberty with. For instance an immature, underaged person who by drinking may not be mature enough to control themselves and would be breaking the law of the land which is a sin against God's commandment, or an alcoholic who could stumble and fall back into sin, addiction, and bondage because of a liberty you feel in Christ.
Back to the porn (there's a sentence I never thought I'd say!), it does not fall under the "seek out your soul's salvation" category. The Bible is abundantly clear regarding sexual immorality. It is a sin. Period. Watching pornography feeds the lust of the flesh, and that lust is sin and it brings more sin with it. I think the only way God could be more plain about it is if he added a book to the Bible called "Thou Shalt Not Watch" and then named off each porn title he didn't want you to see. "Thou shalt not watch Dr. Do-me-a-little. Thou shalt not look at Busty Babes Magazine." You get my drift.
The larger truth these websites opened my eyes to is the sad fact that people will interpret scripture to mean literally almost anything. On one end of the spectrum, you have the spiritual teetotalers who while acknowledging and putting faith in the redemptive work of Christ, still hold fast to the letter of the law and use the scriptures to actually add to that law more laws that God never intended His word to mean. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are people who justify all the deeds and lusts of the flesh by twisting scripture and inserting their own interpretations. Both are wrong but I don't think both are necessarily as damaging to the body of Christ.
If you didn't know the word of God and weren't grounded spiritually, it would be very easy to read some of the things I read this week and say "Wow. That makes a lot of sense. The bible says it's ok for me to spank my wife and watch "Christian" porn." That is why it is so extremely important to not just read God's word, but to study it. http://www.blueletterbible.org/ is a tremendous resource for seeking out God's word. It has the scriptures in several different translations as well as a Greek and Hebrew word dictionary so you can read what the scripture originally said before translation and read the definitions of the words in their original language. It also has commentaries from other authors, including Matthew Henry, which helps put the correct light on God's word, allowing you to understand what the Bible means and not just go off of what the Bible says. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study to show ourselves approved, workers that don't need to be ashamed, correctly and directly teaching the word of truth, God's word.
In my searching, I came across some interesting websites (as you might imagine by googleing porn and christianity in the same search). There were a couple of websites that disturbed me and honestly opened my eyes to a few truths about the world in which we live and about the ugly nature of humanity.
The first website I found was about Christian Domestic Discipline. If you are thinking it sounds like a wife-spanking website, you are right. Husbands: your wives disobey, spank them like a 4 year old in K-Mart. They had scripture references to back up their point of view, which was sad for several reasons. The first, I believe they were taking the scripture to mean something completely different than what it actually meant. Secondly, they were using God's word and God's desire for the order of the family heirarchy or pecking order to give the husband the iron fist with which to rule. Biblically, children answer to mom and dad, mom answers to dad, and they all answer to God so the husband/dad better not abuse his authority and must love and resepect his wife and children as is instructed in God's word. That is very plain in the scripture. But in the Christian Domestic Discipline circles, they twist God's word to give the husband the OK to be a tyrannical brute and if his wife disobeys, she doesn't answer to God, she answers to his belt.
While the Christian Domestic Discipline was both amusing (how can people be so silly) and sad (how mislead and ignorant), the second website I came across truly disturbed me. No, there were no naked pictures of any sort. However, there was what I believe to be a false teaching there that was written in a very compelling manor and if people who read the content aren't spiritually and biblically grounded, they could easily be mislead and end up in a deep pit of shame, guilt, and pornography addiction.
The website I found was propagating Christian pornography. You can order DVDs from the company these people were supporting that showed "tasteful" videos of husbands and wives engaging in sexual activities. They used Song of Solomon as a justification, and because the actors engaging in these sexual activities on video are husband and wife couples, it's ok to watch. According to the website, Christian pornography is to educate Christians by example in how to have better sex.
The scary thing is, this article was well written and compelling. It caused me to stop, think, and question everything I've always been taught. The conclusion I reached is much, much different from the one thy were teaching from their website. I believe pornography, regardless of its form or how it is justified, is a sin. Pornography is a sin. It rips apart marriages, destroys families, and enslaves men and women (oh yeah...women look at porn too).
You may say "Alcoholism does the same thing, but moderate consumption of alcohol is not a sin. So wouldn't pornography be ok as long as it doesn't become bondage and it doesn't negatively affect a marriage?" These are two very, very different issues. I believe the moderate consumption of alcohol is a matter of personal liberty. It falls under "seek out your soul's salvation with fear and trembling." For some, alcohol is a stumblingblock because of a former lifestyle or an inability to control themselves, and should therefore be avoided. For others, alcohol is a liberty that can be enjoyed because it can be controlled and because it does not cause sin in that believers life.
As a sidenote to that, believers who feel and partake of that liberty must be careful not to be a stumblingblock to others. That is not to say we shouldn't have liberty at all because of the "perpetually offended" brothers and sisters in Christ. Rather we need to be cautious of the people we share that liberty with. For instance an immature, underaged person who by drinking may not be mature enough to control themselves and would be breaking the law of the land which is a sin against God's commandment, or an alcoholic who could stumble and fall back into sin, addiction, and bondage because of a liberty you feel in Christ.
Back to the porn (there's a sentence I never thought I'd say!), it does not fall under the "seek out your soul's salvation" category. The Bible is abundantly clear regarding sexual immorality. It is a sin. Period. Watching pornography feeds the lust of the flesh, and that lust is sin and it brings more sin with it. I think the only way God could be more plain about it is if he added a book to the Bible called "Thou Shalt Not Watch" and then named off each porn title he didn't want you to see. "Thou shalt not watch Dr. Do-me-a-little. Thou shalt not look at Busty Babes Magazine." You get my drift.
The larger truth these websites opened my eyes to is the sad fact that people will interpret scripture to mean literally almost anything. On one end of the spectrum, you have the spiritual teetotalers who while acknowledging and putting faith in the redemptive work of Christ, still hold fast to the letter of the law and use the scriptures to actually add to that law more laws that God never intended His word to mean. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are people who justify all the deeds and lusts of the flesh by twisting scripture and inserting their own interpretations. Both are wrong but I don't think both are necessarily as damaging to the body of Christ.
If you didn't know the word of God and weren't grounded spiritually, it would be very easy to read some of the things I read this week and say "Wow. That makes a lot of sense. The bible says it's ok for me to spank my wife and watch "Christian" porn." That is why it is so extremely important to not just read God's word, but to study it. http://www.blueletterbible.org/ is a tremendous resource for seeking out God's word. It has the scriptures in several different translations as well as a Greek and Hebrew word dictionary so you can read what the scripture originally said before translation and read the definitions of the words in their original language. It also has commentaries from other authors, including Matthew Henry, which helps put the correct light on God's word, allowing you to understand what the Bible means and not just go off of what the Bible says. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study to show ourselves approved, workers that don't need to be ashamed, correctly and directly teaching the word of truth, God's word.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Long Time Coming...
My, it's been a long time since I've written on here. So much has happened and my life has changed so much since my last entry that there is no way to go in depth and explain everything, so I will attempt to just hit the highlights and important parts.
On January 8th, 2008 at 4:07AM my wife Brooke and I became proud new parents to a beautiful, perfect baby boy. It was an absolutely amazing experience; one far too beautiful and incredible for words. I've had lots of people attempt to explain what it is like to hold your child for the first time but until you actually go through that experience, you never really understand the depth of what everyone talks about.
The first time I held him after the nurses cleaned him off and swaddled him up, something deep within me changed. I suddenly morphed into a father. The very first thought in my head when they handed him to me and I knew he was really here and that he was really my son was a God-given deeper revelation of something I had always known. Jesus said that we as humans know how to give good gifts to our children; how much more will our heavenly Father give good things to us? That scripture had always made sense to me, but when I held my own son for the first time, it took on a whole new meaning to me. I love my son almost more than anything else...the first being God, the second being my wife. I would do absolutely anything to spare him from pain, sickness or heartache, and I long to give him everything his little mind and heart desire. If I feel that strongly about my own son and I am merely a human, what love God must have for me.
Not long after Quinn was born, we had another birth. Through a lot of prayer, talking, and brainstorming with different individuals, my dad and I birthed the idea of having a Saturday night service at the church that is geared for youth, young adults, and those who enjoy a little more modern style of worship. Tonight is the first one, and we are very excited about it. By some of the opposition key players in this service have faced in their lives over the last few weeks, I believe God is going to really bless it and cause it to take off and grow. Some of us have experienced physical exhaustion, financial stress, sickness, discouragement, distractions, etc., and I believe it is all because the enemy of our soul is trying desperately to stop the moving of God through this service, which leads me to believe that hearts and lives are going to be radically changed by God and that a massive revival for our church, community, and world is imminent. In spite of opposition, we are excited to see what God is going to do and if you are reading this today, I sincerely hope that I will see you at church tonight, next Saturday night, and/or some other Saturday night.
Lastly, I have discovered a great truth in life. We have a Savior who is truly touched by the feelings of our infirmities, be it physical, mental, emotional, or financial. If we will simply take the time to get everything in the way of our walk with God worked out and seek God, he hears and answers prayers. He restores faith and hope. He is merciful and full of grace. He deals with us not according to our sins but rather by the blood of Jesus that removes every stain. We've been facing difficulty in our mortgage business and in our finances and we have a mountain that is seemingly impossible to move or overcome. But after spending some time praying, studying God's word, and fasting, God showed me and told me that everything was going to just fine. He opens his hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing, and he promised that our hearts would be satisfied. Ever since God spoke to me my phone has been ringing off the hook with business and God is opening doors that were previously closed. God is good and full of grace, mercy, and abundant blessings.
Cheers, and God bless!
Hoss
On January 8th, 2008 at 4:07AM my wife Brooke and I became proud new parents to a beautiful, perfect baby boy. It was an absolutely amazing experience; one far too beautiful and incredible for words. I've had lots of people attempt to explain what it is like to hold your child for the first time but until you actually go through that experience, you never really understand the depth of what everyone talks about.
The first time I held him after the nurses cleaned him off and swaddled him up, something deep within me changed. I suddenly morphed into a father. The very first thought in my head when they handed him to me and I knew he was really here and that he was really my son was a God-given deeper revelation of something I had always known. Jesus said that we as humans know how to give good gifts to our children; how much more will our heavenly Father give good things to us? That scripture had always made sense to me, but when I held my own son for the first time, it took on a whole new meaning to me. I love my son almost more than anything else...the first being God, the second being my wife. I would do absolutely anything to spare him from pain, sickness or heartache, and I long to give him everything his little mind and heart desire. If I feel that strongly about my own son and I am merely a human, what love God must have for me.
Not long after Quinn was born, we had another birth. Through a lot of prayer, talking, and brainstorming with different individuals, my dad and I birthed the idea of having a Saturday night service at the church that is geared for youth, young adults, and those who enjoy a little more modern style of worship. Tonight is the first one, and we are very excited about it. By some of the opposition key players in this service have faced in their lives over the last few weeks, I believe God is going to really bless it and cause it to take off and grow. Some of us have experienced physical exhaustion, financial stress, sickness, discouragement, distractions, etc., and I believe it is all because the enemy of our soul is trying desperately to stop the moving of God through this service, which leads me to believe that hearts and lives are going to be radically changed by God and that a massive revival for our church, community, and world is imminent. In spite of opposition, we are excited to see what God is going to do and if you are reading this today, I sincerely hope that I will see you at church tonight, next Saturday night, and/or some other Saturday night.
Lastly, I have discovered a great truth in life. We have a Savior who is truly touched by the feelings of our infirmities, be it physical, mental, emotional, or financial. If we will simply take the time to get everything in the way of our walk with God worked out and seek God, he hears and answers prayers. He restores faith and hope. He is merciful and full of grace. He deals with us not according to our sins but rather by the blood of Jesus that removes every stain. We've been facing difficulty in our mortgage business and in our finances and we have a mountain that is seemingly impossible to move or overcome. But after spending some time praying, studying God's word, and fasting, God showed me and told me that everything was going to just fine. He opens his hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing, and he promised that our hearts would be satisfied. Ever since God spoke to me my phone has been ringing off the hook with business and God is opening doors that were previously closed. God is good and full of grace, mercy, and abundant blessings.
Cheers, and God bless!
Hoss
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Oh, My God! What grace!
I've grown up in church. I've heard the following passage of scripture countless times. But every once in a while the cobwebs and dust get shaken off the thought and it becomes shiny and new in my mind and heart all over again. Today has been one such day.
In Luke 23, we read of the crucifixion of Christ. There He was, the king and savior of the world, beaten, bloody and bruised beyond recognition, hanging on a rough wooden cross with a thief on either side of Him. One thief says "If you're the Messiah, save yourself, and save us while you're at it." It wasn't a genuine request for physical salvation; it was more mockery and disbelief.
In verse 40 we see the start of something amazing; something precious; something beautiful. The other thief tells the mocker "Shut up! You and I deserve to be up here because of the things we've done. We're guilty, but this man is innocent." He then looks at Jesus and says "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."
There are several implications in the words of the humble thief that paint a beautiful portrait of salvation as well as subtly imply the great truth that God looks on our hearts and not necessarily our words. The thief never directly said "I'm a sinner, and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you're the son of God and that you will die and rise again." However, his heart found a way to express the model of salvation in an implying manner through his words.
When the thief told the mocker that Jesus was innocent but they were not, he was implying step one of salvation; admitting to being a sinner. When he looked at Jesus and said "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." he was saying two things. First, he was acknowledging that Jesus was truly the son of God. If he did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, why would he have asked Jesus to remember him. Second, he was asking for mercy and forgiveness. "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." He was saying "Please don't leave me out of heaven."
Here is a man hanging on a cross next to the savior of the world and openly demonstrating sorrow, remorse, and humility. Although he was receiving the punishment that justice demanded, Jesus brought to him the mercy that he couldn't earn and didn't deserve. I believe Jesus lost track of his own pain and suffering for just a moment, and with tears of compassion in His loving eyes He said "Today, this day, you will be with me in heaven."
Oh, my God! What grace! What mercy! Words cannot possibly convey the flood of emotion that bursts out when this beautiful painting of salvation becomes reality. We are all so completely undeserving of life everlasting, much less life in general. Yet when in our hearts we recognize how sinful we really are, acknowledge that Jesus, through His death, replaced justice with ultimate mercy, and ask Him to forgive us, he gives us healing, provision, and life everlasting.
There is no ceremony to perform. No holy writ to be recited. More than any physical action or verbal sounds, it's all in the heart. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God who died for your sins, that's it. Jesus has done the rest.
Oh, my God! What grace! What love! What mercy!
In Luke 23, we read of the crucifixion of Christ. There He was, the king and savior of the world, beaten, bloody and bruised beyond recognition, hanging on a rough wooden cross with a thief on either side of Him. One thief says "If you're the Messiah, save yourself, and save us while you're at it." It wasn't a genuine request for physical salvation; it was more mockery and disbelief.
In verse 40 we see the start of something amazing; something precious; something beautiful. The other thief tells the mocker "Shut up! You and I deserve to be up here because of the things we've done. We're guilty, but this man is innocent." He then looks at Jesus and says "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."
There are several implications in the words of the humble thief that paint a beautiful portrait of salvation as well as subtly imply the great truth that God looks on our hearts and not necessarily our words. The thief never directly said "I'm a sinner, and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you're the son of God and that you will die and rise again." However, his heart found a way to express the model of salvation in an implying manner through his words.
When the thief told the mocker that Jesus was innocent but they were not, he was implying step one of salvation; admitting to being a sinner. When he looked at Jesus and said "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." he was saying two things. First, he was acknowledging that Jesus was truly the son of God. If he did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, why would he have asked Jesus to remember him. Second, he was asking for mercy and forgiveness. "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." He was saying "Please don't leave me out of heaven."
Here is a man hanging on a cross next to the savior of the world and openly demonstrating sorrow, remorse, and humility. Although he was receiving the punishment that justice demanded, Jesus brought to him the mercy that he couldn't earn and didn't deserve. I believe Jesus lost track of his own pain and suffering for just a moment, and with tears of compassion in His loving eyes He said "Today, this day, you will be with me in heaven."
Oh, my God! What grace! What mercy! Words cannot possibly convey the flood of emotion that bursts out when this beautiful painting of salvation becomes reality. We are all so completely undeserving of life everlasting, much less life in general. Yet when in our hearts we recognize how sinful we really are, acknowledge that Jesus, through His death, replaced justice with ultimate mercy, and ask Him to forgive us, he gives us healing, provision, and life everlasting.
There is no ceremony to perform. No holy writ to be recited. More than any physical action or verbal sounds, it's all in the heart. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God who died for your sins, that's it. Jesus has done the rest.
Oh, my God! What grace! What love! What mercy!
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