Secret Service mess

In today's world, to say something might be "immoral" will get you in trouble. It may well be seen as a violation of church and state, a separation not in the Constitution but in a letter Jefferson wrote (kind of like adding a book to the canon of Scripture). So it comes as no surprise that no one is saying that our Secret Service acted immorally by hiring prostitutes. The only concern was possible compromise in security matters. In other words, fornication is perfectly legit (and in Columbia legal), but don't violate security protocal. I agree (as one who had a security clearance) that this is important, but I am discouraged by our country's reluctance to talk about the "right & wrong" morality of sex outside of marriage. We are headed toward becoming an amoral nation, or as Judge Bork put it, "slouching toward Gomorrah."

A big fat lie of Satan

by Stephen Altrogge

One of the most devious, destructive lies that Satan wants us to believe is that we are the products of forces outside ourselves. He wants you to believe that because your dad was an angry, vicious man, you too will always be an angry, vicious man. He wants you to believe that because you were mocked in school you will always care too much about what other people think about you. He wants you to believe that because of your biological wiring you will always be a slave to sexual sin.

He wants you to believe that you will never change.

That you are stuck.

That there is no hope for you to overcome.

You are the victim of your family and your history and your biology. That’s just the way it is, some thing will never change (see Bruce Hornsby).

Today God wants you and me to quit believing that demon spawn lie. We are not the sum total of forces outside of ourselves. The Bible makes it clear that we are the products of the Holy Spirit at work within us. In Galatians 5:16 Paul says:

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

My family history, life experience, and biology will certainly give shape to my temptations. For many years I have dealt with periods of intense physical anxiety, which can then lead to me being tempted by the sin of worry. But the Holy Spirit is at work within me, which means that my life is not defined by my physical anxiety. I may experience the symptoms anxiety for the rest of my life but I will not always struggle with the sin of worry like I do now. I am not the product of my biology I am the product of the Holy Spirit. He is working within me and WILL change me.

In 1 Corinthians 5:17 Paul says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

You are a new creation in Jesus Christ. That is your fundamental identity. Your dad may have been an angry man but that doesn’t mean that you will also be ruled by anger. You are in Christ. You are a new creation and the Holy Spirit is within you, conforming you to the image of Christ. You can be absolutely sure that you will change.

So quit dishonoring God by believing that you won’t change. Quit dishonoring the Holy Spirit by believing that He isn’t strong enough to overcome your biology. God is for you and in you! He delights in you and is committed to changing you! You a new creation in Christ. You’re not stuck and you’re not doomed.

Sin may be powerful but the Spirit is more powerful.

How to ruin your life

Table of contents for Steve Farrar's book, How to Ruin Your Life by Age 30...

•Ignore the law of cause & effect (choices have consequences)
•Refuse to take responsibility for your actions (victim-mentality)
•Neglect your gifts & strengths
•Disregard what the Bible says about sex & marriage
•Stop learning
•Isolate yourself
•Reject wisdom

Pretty sound advice, and the rest is likely worth reading; he also has one for age 40.

The Anatomy of Holiness- Kevin DeYoung

What exactly does it mean to be holy? What does it look like?

Here’s one to think about it: consider growth in godliness as the sanctification of your body...

•The mind is filled with the knowledge of God and fixed on what is good.
•The eyes turn away from sensuality and shudder at the sight of evil.
•The mouth tells the truth and refuses to gossip, slander, or speak what is coarse or obscene.
•The spirit is earnest, steadfast, and gentle.
•The soul rests and rejoices in Jesus.
•The muscles toil and strive after Christlike virtue.
•The heart is full of joy instead of hopelessness, patience instead of irritability, kindness instead of anger, and humility instead of pride, thankfulness instead of envy.
•The sexual organs are pure, being reserved for the privacy of marriage between one man and one woman.
•The feet move toward the lowly and away from senseless conflict, divisions, and wild parties.
•The hands are quick to help those in need and ready to fold in prayer.

When I lose track of what holiness is actually about, I try to scan down the body from head to toe and remember what God desires from me. And just as importantly, I need to remember who Christ is and is making me to become.

Cries from the Cross

Because Jesus was filled with horror and cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” we are filled with wonder and cry, “My God, my God, why have you accepted me?”

Because Jesus cried, “Father, forgive!” the taunts we hurled at Him at the cross are transformed into praise for His generous mercy.

Because Jesus said, “I thirst,” we can drink from the fountain of living water and never thirst again.

Because Jesus said, “Woman, behold your son” and felt the pain of separation from His earthly family, we can experience the blessing of being united with a heavenly family.

Because Jesus forgave the repentant thief, we can forgive others.

Because Jesus cried, “It is finished!” our new life can begin.

Because Jesus committed His spirit into the Father’s hands, God commits His Spirit into our hearts.

Cults

Jeff Foxworthy has a funny list of things that, if true, "you might be a redneck." Here's another list, and if enough are true, the group you're concerned about may well be a cult. It seems easier to describe than define what a cult is, so here's a checklist...

1. A strong, dynamic leader, upon whom the group was founded, or who has taken up the mantle of leadership; often one who claims divinity, or who claims to be closer to God than his/her followers, with special authority and anointing.

2. New, original, extra-Biblical revelation, exclusive to the group, teachings hidden from the rest of Christianity (often written by the cult-founder).

3. Elitism, exclusivity, superiority, a “we’re the one true church” position, with “all the answers.” They are selling a particular brand of faith, and they regard other brands as the opposition. All other groups are wrong and their leaders are false teachers. The group seems too perfect.

4. Teaches against unity (ecumenism/pluralism), or is all-inclusive to the point of universalism (“all roads lead to God”).

5. A “last days” obsession--a disproportionate emphasis on eschatology (prophecy) along with some unique interpretations and predictions about the “end times”.

6. Extra-zealous, coercive and questionable recruiting/salesmanship tactics…and they rarely begin their sales-pitch with their unique beliefs. Deceit may also be used to win converts.

7. Legalism and/or asceticism--strict conformity in dress, social restrictions, rigid rules of behavior--as a means of gaining or retaining God’s favor.

8. Total commitment and childlike submission to group authority expected of members, along with unquestioning acceptance of the group’s doctrines, policies, and leadership. The group encourages followers to put their activities ahead of all other commitments.

9. Intensive indoctrination, demanding exclusive/excessive amount of time from members; authoritarian, oppressive leadership.

10. Persecution complex/paranoia.

11. Salvation by works (deeds), as opposed to the Christian doctrine of justification by grace.

12. Defective Christology--denies the deity and/or humanity of Christ.

13. Defective teaching on the Atonement, i.e. the blood sacrifice of Christ as the basis for forgiveness.

14. Communal living (Utopian Socialism), along with the loss of personal rights and possessions.

15. Conditioning, brainwashing, grooming, peer pressure, manipulation.

16. Individualism discouraged / suppressed--the loss of personal autonomy, dignity, and freedom.

17. Pressure to sever family ties; suspicion of family contact. Followers are unable to place phone calls, receive letters, visit with old friends, or to discuss their thoughts with people outside of the group. Such contact is viewed as a threat to the group.

18. Secrecy and isolation, often coupled with survivalist mentality / practices.

19. Personality and behavioral changes in members, often including name changes.

20. Subjectivity--truth is based on experience, feelings, and circumstantial events.

21. Lack of historic perspective--they ignore the last 2,000 years of church history, claiming they alone are the one-and-only true Church, and all previous groups are in spiritual darkness.

22. Combative, militant opposition toward anyone outside of the group.

23. Financial exploitation of members, often requiring the turnover of members’ assets (especially prevalent in commune situations).

24. Requires or prescribes changes in diet/nutrition to influence members (part of total control).

25. Sleep deprivation--fatigue in order to break down resistance to indoctrination, making converts malleable.

26. Chanting ritual, constant repetition of teachings, in order to block rational thought process, keeping recruits from appraising the teachings of the group.

27. Isolation of recruits, who are not permitted to leave the group compound--a greenhouse scenario, effectively shaping the environment, blocking contact with the real world.

28. Conformity of dress--a uniform, habit, or strict dress code, which makes members easily recognizable and set them apart.

29. Unique rites and rituals, often conducted secretly or privately.

30. Ex-members are ostracized, shunned, condemned, or even persecuted (sometimes even murdered).

31. Few external, hierarchical controls, resulting in a lack of accountability.

32. Unique interpretations of Scripture, teachings that set the group apart from the mainstream and general consensus of religious thought.

33. Non-Trinitarian doctrine, denying that God is a Tri-unity / Three-in One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…co-equal, co-existent, co-eternal.

34. Requires unquestioning acceptance of their beliefs. Doubts and disagreements are not welcomed; they’re a sign of weakness. Such groups also make claims they can’t fulfill.

35. Any group that promotes itself and its founder/leaders more than it promotes God. They may talk about God and claim to promote faith in God, but when forced to decide between their organization and a God Who is bigger than their group, they will side with their group.

How to respond

There's so much anger & hatred in the world...over the killing of an innocent boy in Florida, hatred from the Middle East gloating over the death of an Coptic religious leader, and presidential candidates fuming over personal attacks.

Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr said, "Hatred cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Love keeps inner fury in check, and keeps us from doing what we might prefer to do. Love helps us to be Christlike when we believe life is unfair. Love covers a multitude of sins.