Unashamed of the Gospel

God.Our.Sins.Paying.Everyone.Life. (GOSPEL)

2011-03-12T22:54:00.002-06:00

Humble Beast Records is a group of artists that give the music they make away for free. This video below is a collaboration between Propaganda of Humble Beast and Dare2Share Ministries.

The video is Titled G.O.S.P.E.L.

My prayer is that it will encourage the believer to not brush off the Gospel but to preach it to yourself daily. And for the unbeliever who happens to stumble upon this blog, I pray that it will enlighten you to seek after the one who gives eternal life, the God-Man Christ Jesus!

Grace and peace.

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

How Does the Gospel Conquer the Sin of Pornography

2011-02-03T22:26:00.001-06:00

A-Z Reasons to Stop Viewing Porn

2010-12-17T21:53:00.002-06:00

It has been quite awhile since my last post and I had planned on waiting until the first of the New Year to get back on the grind. However I came across this today and felt this was something that I needed to post.

The A-Z Reasons to Stop Viewing Porn was posted on Don't Waste Your Life today. They got it from the XXX Church Blog posted by Craig Gross. Credit for the list goes to Jay Dennis.

Grace and Peace,

Alex

26 Destructive Consequences Porn Viewing Has on a Man

The following destructive consequences are the result of a Christian man viewing pornography. The A to Z format covers the wide range of negative results that porn has on a man who is a follower of Jesus.

Alienates You From God. You no longer feel close to God. You don’t experience the power of God. You no longer have the joy of your salvation.

Blinds You To The Consequences. It temporarily turns off your walk with God, your relationships with your wife, your children, and others. It blinds you to what is going to happen to you spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, vocationally, and relationally.

Creates Unrealistic Expectations. Men begin to think this is what every woman should look like and that this is what your relationships with your wife is to be like.

Distorts Your View Of Sex. It makes you believe that sex is solely for the pleasure of a man and that women are simply objects to be used rather than God’s creations to be honored and respected.

Enough Is Never Enough. Pornography has an escalating effect. Like a drug you need more and more to satisfy the lust. It takes you further down a destructive path and further away from peace, joy, and healthy relationships.

Freedom Over What You Think And Do Is Lost. You become enslaved to your sinful thoughts which lead to sinful actions.

Guilt Comes Upon You After You Look At Porn, But The Guilt Is Not Enough To Prevent You From Doing It The Next Time.

Healthy Sexuality Is Numbed Through Porn. Healthy sex is married sex only that includes regular sex, unselfish sex, and loving sex.

Isolates You And Makes You Feel You Are All Alone And Are The Only One Who Struggles With Porn And Lust.

Jeopardizes Your Relationship With Your Wife Or Future Wife (if you are single), Your Witness For Jesus Christ, And Everything In Your Life That Is Important To You. You Put It All On The Line For Pornography.

Keeps You In S Cycle Of Self Destructive Behavior. It may appear to medicate the pain in your life, but it only adds to the pain with more pain. Porn leads you to do things you never thought you would do. Sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. And it will cost you more than you want to pay (Unknown Author).

Lust—Sexual Sinful Lust—Leads To Sexual Sinful Actions. Porn put in your mind is like putting fuel on the fire of wrong sexual desire resulting in destructive thoughts and actions.

Masks The Real Wound You Are Seeking To Heal And Makes Things Worse.

Never A Neutral Experience. You cannot look at porn and not be affected by it. That experience is always inconsistent with God’s Word.

Objectifies Women. It makes them a sexual object. Porn hijacks a man’s ability to see an older woman as a mother figure, a same-aged woman as a sister figure, and a younger woman as a daughter figure.

Porn Initially Brings A Very Short-Lived Pleasure, Followed By Pain And More Pain

Quitting Becomes The Struggle Of A Lifetime. Once you allow porn in, there is a raging battle with Satan and your old nature to keep looking. Once you have allowed porn into your life, there will always be a battle. It is a winnable battle, but a daily battle.

Remains Imbedded In Your Mind Forever. Satan uses that image to replay in your mind to create a cycle of sinful lust again and to drive you back to looking at porn. You become bound to an image and a not a person.

Shame Enters Your Life. Guilt is feeling badly for something you have done, shame, however, is based on feeling badly about who you are. Pornography brings shame. God never brings shame. Satan always brings shame.

Trust Is Broken With The People You Love And Respect The Most.

Unlocks The Door To Every Sexual Sin. Porn is a portal, a gateway that leads to nothing good and everything painful such as compulsive masturbation, affairs, dangerous sexual practices, visiting adult-oriented businesses, paying for sex, perverted sexual practices and sexual abuse.

Violates Women. How? You are putting your stamp of approval on an industry that degrades and dehumanizes women.

Wandering Eyes Toward Other Women are Invited.

Xtinguishes Truth. Pornography promotes lying. You lie to others, you lie to God, and you lie to yourself. You lie more to cover up past lies. You become a living lie.

Yokes You To An Image. You become bound and attached to the image instead of your wife or future wife if you are single.

Zips Your Lips To Praising God, Speaking About Your Faith, And Telling Others How They Can Experience God.

Misrepresentation of Calvinism

2010-09-22T23:14:00.002-05:00

I recently posted an article on my facebook page titled Fruits of Calvinism by Ron Comfort. (Not to be confused with Ray Comfort)

I went on to point out the dishonesty of Mr. Comfort in his smearing of Calvinism and John Calvin. Below is word for word what I posted. I apologize for the length but unfortunately it was necessary. I pray that you will be encouraged to further study God's word and the works of men as well.

At first glance you would think that this is an article commending the doctrine of Calvinism. However it is not. It is an attack that is full of lies and dishonesty.

I don't know Ron Comfort (not to be confused with Ray Comfort) personally so I'm not judging his Christian character. I also don't want this to be a Calvinist vs. Arminian feud. There are many wing-nuts on both sides of the table that cause more trouble than good and honestly if Calvin and Arminius were alive today they would both disapprove of all the bickering that goes on instead of good clean debate and discussion of God's word in my opinion.

What I want to point out is the lack of honest study and disrespect for his readers that Mr. Comfort (Not Ray Comfort) had while penning this article. I say disrespect for his readers because he mentions things and assumes that his readers will take it at face value and not do the actual legwork to see if what he says is true. In most cases people can get away with this because many times certain books are not available or the person already has an idea of what is right in their head and they don't want to look into anything that might challenge that idea.

My main issue is that Mr. Comfort (Not Ray Comfort) like Dave Hunt choose to smear John Calvin instead of discussing what he has done for the kingdom of God. There hope is that if you hate the man enough you will ultimately disregard anything he ever wrote. As I was once a hyper-Calvinist I can say that that is a surprisingly good technique. I once would totally discount anything by Jacob Arminius or John Wesley simply because they were Arminian and I took what was being told to me at face value and didn't research anything. Thankfully God has seen fit to redeem my study habits and that is not the case anymore.

On page 3 of this article Mr. Comfort (Not Ray Comfort) says, " Not only does Calvinism incriminate His holiness, but, number two, it incriminates His love. Interestingly, in the almost 1,300 pages of Calvin’s Institutes, not one time does he expound on the love of God."

This is a flat out lie or either he was just lazy in his study and did not read thoroughly. I have a nice set of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and in Book 2 titled Christ's Execution of the Office of a Redeemer to Procure Our Salvation. His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension to Heaven and in Chapter 16 Section 3 John Calvin goes on to speak more about God's love in 2 pages than Mr. Comfort (Not Ray Comfort) does in 11 pages.

Page 5 he mentions this to further separate these two sides, "...the Calvinist’s arch enemy, Jacob Arminius..."

This is just ridiculous. Many don't even know how highly Arminius thought of Calvin. Here are Jacob Arminius' own words about Calvin,

"After the Holy Scriptures, I exhort the students to read the Commentaries of Calvin. . . . I tell them that he is incomparable in the interpretation of Scripture; and that his Commentaries ought to be held in greater estimation than all that is delivered to us in the writings of the ancient Christian Fathers: so that, in a certain eminent spirit of prophecy, I give the pre-eminence to him beyond most others, indeed beyond them all. I add, that, with regard to what belongs to common places, his Institutes must be read after the Catechism, as a more ample interpretation. But to all this I subjoin the remark, that they must be perused with cautious choice, like all other human compositions."

Concerning "Calvinist" students on page 6 he said they would tell him this, " They
would tell me time after time there was no Scriptural validation for an evangelist."

The students he was dealing with were immature and what I would call hyper-Calvinists. For more information regarding the differences between a Calvinist and a Hyper-Calvinist I urge you to pick up a book by Ian H. Murray titled Spurgeon vs. Hyper-Calvinism The Battle for Gospel Preaching.

On page 8 he quotes Philip Congdon, "Absolute assurance of salvation is impossible for Classical Calvinism.” He then goes on to quote John Calvin from Book 3 section 3 of his Institutes Chapter 24 titled Election Confirmed by the Divine Call. The Destined Destruction of the Reprobate Procured by Themselves.

“For there is scarcely a mind in which the thought does not sometimes arise, ‘Whence your salvation but from the election of God? But what proof have you of your election?’ When once this thought has taken possession of any individual, it keeps him perpetually miserable, subjects him to dire torment, or throws him into a state of complete stupor.”

How about we continue this quote in context and see how he slanders John Calvin...

"I cannot wish a stronger proof of the depraved ideas, which men of this description form of predestination, than experience itself furnishes, since the mind cannot be infected by a more pestilential error than that which disturbs the conscience, and deprives it of peace and tranquility in regard to God. Therefore, as we dread shipwreck, we must avoid this rock, which is fatal to every one who strikes upon it. And though the discussion of predestination is regarded as a perilous sea, yet in sailing over it the navigation is calm and safe, nay pleasant, provided we do not voluntarily court danger. For as a fatal abyss engulfs those who, to be assured of their election, pry into the eternal counsel of God without the word, yet those who investigate it rightly, and in the order in which it is exhibited in the word, reap from it rich fruits of consolation."

As I said before and as you can tell by the completion of John Calvin's quote in context you can see the very dishonest work on the part of Ron Comfort. (Not Ray Comfort)

There is so much more in this 11 page article where he slanders authors and shows his lack of knowledge in this area but I will close with just one more example from page 10.

He says, " If I were a Calvinist, why in the world would I do what I have done in starting this school? You know what I’d do? I’d get a job that paid well and make a lot of money and accrue a lot of material possessions and I would live it up. That’s the end result of Calvinism."

Folks this is not Calvinism at all. What he is describing is antinomianism and is completely opposite of what Calvinism teaches.

In closing I just plead with you to search out the things you read. Don't come to the table with your mind made up. What you may have read, been told or even experienced as Calvinism is probably Hyper-Calvinism. Search these things out in the scriptures and research the men writing these slanderous articles. You will more than likely find that they are being biased and dishonest on this particular subject.

Grace and peace,

Alex Johnson

Ted Bundy and Pornography

2010-08-30T22:48:00.002-05:00

My decision to start blogging was not for attention or any type of recognition. My main goal and prayer as I stated in my very first blog post is still this, "I pray that the things I post and possibly write will not only strengthen others but also myself."

So as I look at some of my blog posts it does not surprise me that a big theme has been to warn about the effects of pornography. This is an area that I have to constantly fight against. While I overcame much of this problem by the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ before I was married, the temptations abound daily in this Godless culture we live in. I can totally relate to the lyric in Lecrae's track Prayin For You...

"...he say he feelin' trapped can't even hit up the mall, cause every ladies half dressed tempting him to lust and fall..."

So when I come across videos or studies that deal with the topic of pornography I want to pass them on to people to show them another option that maybe hasn't been made available to them.

So this is why I'm posting this video that was recorded hours before Ted Bundy would be executed. I had watched this awhile back and it just slipped my mind. Thankfully one of my favorite Christian rappers posted this on his blog this past Saturday. As he said, "This video is very sobering."

How Do I Know God Exists?

2010-08-13T16:16:00.002-05:00

It has been quite some time since my last post so to get back in the swing of things I thought I would share some wisdom from none other than Don Carson.

May you be blessed and strengthened by this video.

Getting Serious About Pornography

2010-04-01T20:25:00.003-05:00

Tim Challies is a blogger/author that I enjoy reading daily. In between managing the blogs he writes and other various jobs, he usually makes time to put out a daily post with links to stories that he feels are worth reading about.

Today he put a link to an online article entitled Getting Serious About Pornography.

I recently had a few posts about this subject and thought I would pass this on to those who may have read them. Tim says it best in his description of this article...

"The article from National Review looks at our porn problem. While Christians have been saying many of these things for a long time, it is good to see greater mainstream acceptance of the devastation caused by pornography."

My prayers go out to all those hurting because of pornography and it's effects. Having learned from my own mistakes in life I know that it was only the Lord's grace and mercy keeping me safe and nothing of my own will. I am extremely encouraged by this mainstream article and pray that many others will realize their own sins and seek the Lord Jesus Christ for His Saving Grace!

Imagine a drug so powerful it can destroy a family simply by distorting a man’s perception of his wife. Picture an addiction so lethal it has the potential to render an entire generation incapable of forming lasting marriages and so widespread that it produces more annual revenue — $97 billion worldwide in 2006 — than all of the leading technology companies combined. Consider a narcotic so insidious that it evades serious scientific study and legislative action for decades, thriving instead under the ever-expanding banner of the First Amendment.

According to an online statistics firm, an estimated 40 million people use this drug on a regular basis. It doesn’t come in pill form. It can’t be smoked, injected, or snorted. And yet neurological data suggest its effects on the brain are strikingly similar to those of synthetic drugs. Indeed, two authorities on the neurochemistry of addiction, Harvey Milkman and Stanley Sunderwirth, claim it is the ability of this drug to influence all three pleasure systems in the brain — arousal, satiation, and fantasy — that makes it “the pièce de résistance among the addictions.”

Continue reading here...

Conversation with an Atheist

2010-03-17T00:37:00.003-05:00

Recently I got into an internet conversation with an atheist that had commented on my youtube page. Normally it is a waste of time to try and dialogue with atheists because they refuse to be civil or answer questions and continue to try and put words into your mouth and make false accusations towards you. Dr. James White said it best when he addressed posting on youtube...

"I keep forgetting that when you address atheism on YouTube you turn off comments since atheists have no moral restraints so as to control their tongues, or, in this case, their keyboards. My apologies."

However I haven't posted anything about atheism on youtube. While some of my favorites are videos discussing atheism, the only thing I have posted was actually more of a compliment to an atheist. I posted the audio from a wretched radio podcast of Christopher Hitchens talking to Unitarian Universalist Marilyn Sewell. If you haven't heard it yet, Mr. Hitchens had a better view of what exactly it is to be a Christian than the professing Christian he was speaking with.

Anyway, this conversation I had was no different. However at the end he finally apologized for his actions. Whether it was sincere or not only time will tell. It could have just gone on and on with harsh words but it didn't and he was willing to give me his name so that I could pray for him. While he laughed it off in email and probably out loud to himself, I pray that a seed was planted and that he will take me up on my offer to further discuss the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The following is that conversation. His username on youtube is NavinJohnson90, but I will use his real name (Chris) when quoting him. Please pray that the Sovereign God Almighty will show Himself to this young man.

Disclaimer: There is some bad language in this conversation.

Chris - "You are an utter dumbass."

Me - "Hey would you care to elaborate on why you would leave a comment like that to someone you have never spoken with or met? I'm just curious. Thanks.

(The following is what I posted on my youtube page and an explanation to whoever looks at my youtube page why I wasn't going to delete his comment.)

"To whoever reads these comments I'm leaving the comment from NavinJohnson90 for two reasons.

1. I don't feel like censoring him because that will take away any accountability on his part by being able to deny his comment.

2. It serves as a reminder the type of people atheists and God haters are. If it were simply about they just don't believe in God then that would be cool, but their complete disregard and vulgarity towards other peoples beliefs in God and Jesus Christ show their true agenda and utter hatred.

So please join me in praying for these individuals that the Lord would use any means necessary to bring to a knowledge of Himself.

By the way I have also never spoken to or met this person and this is the type of comment he leaves me. I'm still waiting for a response I sent to him to try and further some dialogue to discuss anything. We'll see if he wants to."

Chris - "Hey would you care to elaborate on why you would leave a comment like that to someone you have never spoken with or met? I'm just curious."

Because every once in a while the close minded, fearful, hateful, and irrational ignorance of people such as yourself gets me irritated enough to the point where I have to let them know. I apologize for the harshness of my comment, but I stand by it fully, because it's true. And you refute it with: "It serves as a reminder the type of people atheists and God haters are. If it were simply about they just don't believe in God then that would be cool"

"It is simply that I don't believe in God. I don't hate anyone because they believe in God, as most of my family and many of my friends are Christians. If you were simply just about belief in God, then THAT would be cool. But rather, you choose to go out on the internet and make ignorant, unfounded, and fear-based claims about Atheists. So don't be surprised if someone calls you out on it. I wouldn't walk into a church preaching about evolution and expect nobody to call me a heathen. But yeah, you think that Atheists are immoral, hateful, and have some hidden agenda? SOMEONE is going to call you a dumbass for spouting such prejudiced filth, and this time it just happened to be me. Curiosity satiated?"

Me - "Okay NavinJohnson90, let's see if we can clear things up. I sent you pm to ask you why you would leave a vulgar comment on someones page without ever speaking to or meeting that person. You then decide to reply twice to this page so that you could have an audience and then send me a pm telling me if I would like to "continue this" I could pm back.

So here is my response to your comments. This will also be posted on my page.

"Because every once in a while the close minded, fearful, hateful, and irrational ignorance of people such as yourself gets me irritated enough to the point where I have to let them know. I apologize for the harshness of my comment, but I stand by it fully, because it's true." ~ NavinJohnson90

Okay it is very funny how you can apologize for your previous post calling me a "utter dumbass" and then say you stand by it fully because it is true. Meanwhile you insult me in the previous sentence by calling me, "close minded, fearful, hateful, and irrational ignorance of people such as yourself ." If you are apologizing for something you don't say you stand by it in the same sentence. To apologize for something means you regret saying or doing it. You obviously don't regret it so it is not an apology. You also have never met me or spoke to me so from one youtube page you have gathered all of those assumptions about someone you don't know.

You then decided to quote me but only partially..."It serves as a reminder the type of people atheists and God haters are. If it were simply about they just don't believe in God then that would be cool," ~ naj1978

You then say to me that..."If you were simply just about belief in God, then THAT would be cool. But rather, you choose to go out on the internet and make ignorant, unfounded, and fear-based claims about Atheists. So don't be surprised if someone calls you out on it." ~ NavinJohnson90

You accuse me of something I never did. I have never said anything at all about atheists until after your response. I have no videos bashing atheists, in fact I have two videos showing how Christopher Hitchens has a better grasp on Christianity than a "Christian" Unitarian Universalist. So if your calling me an "utter dumbass is in response to something I never did you are at fault and are lying. Which further proves my statement that you decided not to quote where I said..."their complete disregard and vulgarity towards other peoples beliefs in God and Jesus Christ show their true agenda and utter hatred." ~ naj1978

You then go on and say..."But yeah, you think that Atheists are immoral, hateful, and have some hidden agenda? SOMEONE is going to call you a dumbass for spouting such prejudiced filth, and this time it just happened to be me." ~ NavinJohnson90

You don't know what I think because you never asked. I never said that atheists were immoral, in fact I think the exact opposite. I never said atheists are hateful or that I think they have a hidden agenda. In fact your replies show your hatred and reveal an atheists agenda. Richard Dawkins himself has said his agenda is to rid the world of religion.

So I'm sorry NavinJohnson90, I didn't spout any "prejudiced filth." Your calling me an "utter dumbass" is unmerited based on your own reason because none of the things you said happened to warrant your first post. You say that , "most of my family and many of my friends are Christians", if that is the case then I would love to hear a true reason why you responded the way you did without cause. My curiosity is not satiated.

I would like nothing more than to continue in a healthy dialogue with you. Maybe we could both learn something.

Thank you for taking the time to respond back to me to begin with and I hope that I will hear from you again.

God Bless,

(Romans 1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Chris - "Wow I can see this really got to you.

" I never said atheists are hateful or that I think they have a hidden agenda. In fact your replies show your hatred and reveal an atheists agenda." Can you really be THAT contradictory?

Also, I never apologized for calling you an utter dumbass. I apologized for how harsh it sounded. That doesn't change its validity. It's true. I don't regret it. Get over it.

But all of this is really pointless, since you should be turning the other cheek anyway."

Me - "Perhaps that I wasn't clear enough in my post for you to think that something bothered me or that I was contradicting myself. Let me try and point out what I thought I said very clearly.

"I never said atheists are hateful or that I think they have a hidden agenda. In fact your replies show your hatred and reveal an atheists agenda." ~ naj1978

What I was saying here is that the very accusations you were accusing me of you were actually portraying in your posts. To me that is not contradictory. Maybe I just can't type what I'm thinking correctly for it to make sense. I'm sorry for that.

"Also, I never apologized for calling you an utter dumbass. I apologized for how harsh it sounded. That doesn't change its validity. It's true. I don't regret it. Get over it." ~ NavinJohnson90

I find this funny that you are only apologizing for the "harshness" of calling me an "utter dumbass", as if you had said that same statement with a smiley emoticon on the end it would have somehow made it less insulting. And it isn't true because you still have no basis for calling me that as I pointed out but you refuse to just have a peaceful dialogue with me. I also don't understand how you can not regret insulting someone you have never met and never said anything to you to begin with.

"But all of this is really pointless, since you should be turning the other cheek anyway." ~ NavinJohnson90

I'm assuming you are referring to Matthew 5:39 here. You and many Christians would be wrong in interpreting this verse as you state. This passage is referring to violence or injury. We should not return evil with evil, in other words not seek revenge.

John Gill, a Christian theologian from the 1700's said it best in his commentary regarding this verse...

"This is not to be understood of any sort of evil, not of the evil of sin, of bad actions, and false doctrines, which are to be opposed; nor of the evil one, Satan, who is to be resisted; but of an evil man, an injurious one, who has done us an injury. We must not render evil for evil, or repay him in the same way. Not but that a man may lawfully defend himself, and endeavour to secure himself from injuries; and may appear to the civil magistrate for redress of grievances; but he is not to make use of private revenge. As if a man should pluck out one of his eyes, he must not in revenge pluck out one of his; or should he strike out one of his teeth, he must not use him in the same manner; but patiently bear the affront, or seek for satisfaction in another way."

I pray that you will carefully read back over my previous response to you and respond with humility to my question. I continue to pray that we have a humble and beneficial dialogue with each other if you decide to continue speaking with me.

God Bless!"

Chris - "Well hey, sorry I was a dick. I dont agree with your ideas, but that doesnt make either of us less human or less important.

Me - "Hey thanks for the reply man. There are many many people far more qualified than myself, but if you would ever like to ask me something concerning Christianity, or more specifically the Gospel, please feel free to do so.

If you don't mind I would like to get your name. I would like to pray for you using your name and not a internet nickname. I completely understand if you don't want to though. God Bless."

Chris - "Haha. Sure you can pray for me. My name's Chris."

Step Into The Light

2010-03-07T02:27:00.003-06:00

I would like to continue more on the topic from one of my recent posts about pornography. This post will not be another rebuke like the last post. I pray for those that are saved and un-saved that the Holy Spirit will convict them of this disgrace of one of God's blessings and lead them to the foot of the Cross face down seeking the Savior!

Instead I want to point you towards a few things that have been extremely beneficial to me.

If you use Firefox as your browser you can pick up an add-on called adblock plus. This add-on will completely get rid of all those tempting and annoying ads on facebook as well as other sites.

Something else that has helped me is music. Before I was saved I listened to a lot of rap music. As many people know secular rap music degrades women and is basically a soundtrack for porn. So while I had a fondness for this style of music imagine how excited I was to find not just christian rap but Gospel soaked rap music. One favorite in particular is Timothy Brindle. His albums consisted of many topics that Christians struggle with such as porn. And the overriding theme is killing sin (Romans 8:13).

This has been extremely encouraging to me. Below are some videos. One of which I made with lyrics for people to follow along with. Both speak on the subject of pornography.

I pray for you dear reader that if you are struggling with this sin to repent and come to the Cross of Christ! It is the only thing that can save you from this sin! We need a savior!

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes!

Meet The Puritans

2010-03-07T00:33:00.004-06:00

I would like to take this opportunity to direct anyone that likes to read and learn about the Puritans to head over to J.C. Ryle quotes.com.

Mr. Erik Kowalker is having a giveaway this month for the book Meet the Puritans. You can check this book out here.

Simply click on the title of this blog post and it will direct you to the website to enter the giveaway. He will announce a winner on March 13th.

Pornography = Road to Hell

2010-03-05T21:11:00.010-06:00

Attention:

After I posted this I got into a discussion with a great brother in Christ that pointed out to me something that I originally did not see before my post. At face value I took the article written as a healthy rebuke to men concerning their pornography. This brother pointed out to me a different perspective concerning how the Gospel was represented. He felt that there was a lot of condemnation towards unbelievers only and even though some time was spent on the Gospel at the end of the article it didn't seem to offer any hope for a Christian that is struggling with this sin.

I don't want to remove the article because I think the many people that read it will have one or the other of these perspectives that my brother and I came to while reading it. However I do want those that struggle to know there is hope. Sometimes a rebuke is necessary but we should do it in love. Like my brother said to me the Gospel should be enough. It condemns but also provides hope and salvation. The video below shows this hope and is a great testimony.

I praise the Lord for Christian brothers like the one that contacted me.

A decade ago I wasn't saved. I hadn't been born again by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I was consumed with porn. My friends and I even had autographed videos from porn-stars. I thought I was fine and I was just "being a guy." Looking back now I realize how badly I misused a beautiful gift from God that is meant for a husband and his wife.

Pornography is something that is considered taboo in most Christian churches these days. And while I agree it is a very sensitive subject, it is still a terrible sin that is infecting our churches and destroying many pastors and families. It should not be swept under the carpet.

Too many pastors are wasting their pulpit. They are consumed with tickling the ears of their congregations with promises of eternal life by checking a box on a card and experiencing life now! The problem with this is when these people are confronted by the Gospel and the scriptures they get defensive and say "my god wouldn't do or say that." They are exactly right because the god they believe in isn't the one true God of the scriptures. (I promise I'm going somewhere with this and not just ranting.)

I know people that enjoy these churches because they are hip and the messages usually last about 30-35 minutes. The problem is because the scriptures aren't taught these people leave there and the rest of the week they indulge in all sorts of sexual impurity. Instead of worrying about building funds and the latest trend to attract people to your church, just imagine how many lives would be changed if the scriptures were shown to them and Lord willing the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin and led them to true repentance!

Please don't be like "America's Pastor" and say "I Don't Know" when it comes to these serious subjects.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

Below are some scriptures that speak about this horrible sin:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
(Matthew 5:27-28 ESV)

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:9-20 ESV)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 ESV)

The following is very lengthy. It is directed towards men and husbands in particular but please don't assume that pornography is something that is only a man problem. Many women are being destroyed by this sin as well. The following is written by Michael Pearl. My knowledge of his ministry is limited to one book about 6 years ago. I have heard that he teaches "sinless perfection". I am in no way promoting or recommending his ministry. I only wish to use this resource of his because this is one of the best written articles on this subject I have found. There is one section that I have put in bold and italicized that I don't necessarily agree with. I left it because I wanted to keep the entire source intact.

I pray that if you have read my attempt to bring this sin out in the open this far that you will continue on and use Mr. Pearl's advice at the end of his article and seek Jesus Christ today!

Pornography - Road to Hell

This publication is dedicated to child training and family. It would seem that a dissertation on pornography should be confined to a different format. But we receive many letters from wives concerned about their husband’s pornographic indulgence. The letters we receive are from homeschooling, no birth control, go to church, ‘put on a good front’ families. Wives want to know how they can train up their children to follow the Lord when their husbands are secretly following porn queens. At one large meeting of several thousand "Christian" men, over 50% of those present confessed to having "used pornography" in the previous seven days. Most ministers avoid ever mentioning this shameful subject. Of those that do, the majority treat it as a "weakness" that Christians should "overcome with counseling." I disagree. We too have avoided addressing the subject because of its sensitiveness. Some of you who live in isolation (thank God that you do) may be offended at my frankness. But you must understand that the life of many families and the souls of their children are at stake.

I would want my children to read this article. The degree to which they understand the words would be a general guide as to how much they are ready to consider. I would then discuss it with them, according to their maturity. But you may not. It’s your choice. Just be apprised of the fact that most kids are exposed to some form of pornography by the time they are ten years old.

Now I am speaking to you, fathers. If you isolate yourself in a room and indulge in pornography, you are not sick; you are evil. You are having intercourse with a computer, or with the pages of a publication. In effect you are having an erotic experience with the editor—probably another man. While you are fanaticizing with that commercially produced image, know that there are thousands of others engaged in eroticism with the same image, at the same time as you. You are part of a disgusting group of perverts, all piled onto the same image together. And somewhere there is a sexually dysfunctional editor enjoying the extent of his erotic powers.

You are not oversexed. You are not even sexed. You are alone. At best you are copulating with yourself. Don’t tell me that you are getting yourself primed for a conclusion with your wife. It is the priming that draws you back again and again, not the conclusion. You are a pervert. A real man is bigger than his member. He is big enough to say no to his passions. A man whose passions are stimulated to the point of being all consuming is not a man of greater prowess. He is a man whose soul has shrunk until his little member is the strongest thing left. God created us with sexual drive, but he also gave us a steering wheel and a brake to direct and control our drives. If you can’t control yours, it is not a statement of the strength of your drive, but of the weakness of your soul. You are wasting away to the level of an alley cat. Adam fell, but you are falling even further. You are plunging your soul into eternal destruction, moving as far away from God as you can get. You are lost and helpless by choice. You do not deserve sympathy or understanding; you deserve condemnation and scorn. You are not a victim; you are a perpetrator. You justify your addiction by pointing to the many who have fallen as you have, but you are condemned by the many who have not fallen, and by the many who were once where you are but have since repented and been restored to normalcy.

While you justify yourself, your own conscience condemns you. You sneak around like a thief as you lie and deceive. Your whole life is dedicated to the dragon. Your body is being consumed as your soul is being digested. You are having communion with the devil – bowing in worship of the flesh. You are a disciple of evil. You have chosen to be part of a group that defiles their own flesh, – "that worships and serves the creature more than the Creator, whose god is their belly, whose glory is their shame." (Romans 1:25; Philippians 3:19).

Very few ever return from the pit into which you are sinking. You have taken the downhill slide into Hell, and there is absolutely nothing to stop you except your willingness to apply the brakes. The problem is that you are more addicted today than you were one year ago, and you will continue to fade into the shadows of debauchery until you are one with the evil on which you feed. You are on the road of no return and every day you are less likely to reverse your course.

The lust you have created is never satisfied. It is an itch with no scratch, only more itch. Pornographic satisfaction is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – always just out of reach. The lust of pornography draws a man ever deeper into the dark tunnel of promise until he discovers he has missed life and love. Pornography destroys your ability to "make love," and replaces it with the cunning wit to use and abuse. There comes a point when any attempt at a normal relationship is nothing more than assisted masturbation. Your world grows ever smaller until you are alone with your semen. You stink of self. You do not deserve a woman.

You have nothing to be proud of. You are not a bull. You are a dog. There are millions just like you. Most are not as hypocritical as you are. Some of them hang around bars, nightspots, and porno shops; but take note, you feed on the same diet. Your soul is a receptacle of the same putrefaction. You may yet join them, sharing not only the same books and videos, but also the same dirty motel rooms with their indigenous occupants.

"Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell." (Proverbs 9:17-18).

So your wife is frigid? Don’t tell me that pornography is a substitute for a good woman. I was not homeschooled and protected. I am fifty-four years old. I preach in state prisons every week and have done so since I was eighteen. I have ministered in coffeehouses and rescue missions and on the street since I was sixteen. You might convince yourself that you are forced to your actions by an unresponsive wife, but I don’t buy it. I have known of porno-freaks that got married to good women, but found that they liked to be alone better than sharing. We have talked to women who are willing and ready, but their husbands prefer their own company. Pornography and a wife are not alternate ways to fulfill the same drive. The drive for a wife is a natural drive, whereas the drive for pornography is a cultivated, perverted passion that has nothing to do with love and marriage. If a pornographer were to marry a porno queen, he would quickly become dissatisfied with her and crawl back in his little hole, alone with his imaginations and the images created by an industry that makes its money not by satisfying its customers, but by keeping them dissatisfied and hungry for the artificial. Your secret world is revolting to real men who know how to love one woman and dedicate the rest of their energies to creative living.

But the most destructive thing about your sin is the effect it has on your children. We live in a spirit world of both righteous and fallen angels. We are surrounded by evil spirits seeking the moral destruction of every human soul. The children of godly parents are protected from unclean spirits by being under their moral umbrella. But when a father gives his mind over to wicked lusts, he removes the hedge of protection around his family and invites impure devils into his home. Wishing them away will avail nothing. Any prayers you pray for their safety are negated the moment you open the pages of a pornographic book or glare at an electronic image. When you tune in to electronic pornography you have established a two-way link with the spiritual underworld. When you lie in bed at night and conjure up wicked images, the devils won’t stop with your mind; they will gleefully rush into the bedrooms of your children and assault their little souls and bodies. Evil thoughts will come to their minds – thoughts you have been thinking that are telegraphed to them by the devils. Your defenseless children will be taken captive, and you are the one that threw the gate open to the enemy.

If sodomy is sin, pornography is its "significant other." If the Bible be true when it says that those who commit fornication (Greek porniah, the root of our English word pornography) "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21), then the future of any and all pornography users is the suffering of eternal damnation. And in Ephesians 5:6, again speaking of fornication (porniah/pornography), he says, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." If you think you can indulge in pornography and still be a Christian, you are blindly hoping against the clear statements of Scripture. Disciples of Christ read their Bibles, not the dirty books of Sodomites and lesbians. Every time you retreat into your world of lust, you shut the door in God’s face. You are dangling your soul and the souls of your children over the fires of eternal damnation.

I have not been as hard on you as God will be in the day of judgment. You have only one hope, and that is to repent toward God. I did not tell you to repent of your sin of pornography, because as an unregenerate man you will not find the power to forsake your first love. You must repent toward God. This you can do while still in the slavery of your sin. To repent toward God is to prefer God and his righteousness above everything else. It is to desire his holiness in your life – to hate the sin that binds you. Make no mistake. The man that repents toward God is a desperate man, a man that longs for the holiness God will bring into his life. The man that repents toward God will experience restless nights and skipped meals in his search for God. A man that repents toward God will find no pleasure or peace in anything until he can rest in God alone. It will not do for you to walk down an aisle and pray a sinner’s prayer. It will not be sufficient for you to ask for prayer, or to confess your sins, or go to counseling. You must go directly to God through the Lord Jesus Christ with no hope and no confidence but the mercy and grace of God.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but it is a blessed thing to stay there until you are forgiven, and cleansed, and then empowered to walk in holiness. The dragon can be killed by Christ alone. Whom Christ makes free he shall be free indeed. I have seen God save and deliver lesbians, Sodomites, and porno freaks as easily as he saves children. Christ is sufficient.

I have done you a service by increasing your guilt, by bringing the law down on you like it will in the day of judgment. Your conscience will not be satisfied by anything less than your exposure and punishment. The good news is that Jesus Christ took upon himself the shame of your sin. God laid on him your iniquity. God made Jesus to be sin in your place. He was treated as if he was the pornographer, the guilty sinner. He died the death you should die. Your sin has been paid for in the sufferings of Christ. If you repent toward God, God will forget your sin as if it had never happened. He will put away your sin and remember it no more. He will remove the guilt and free you from sin’s power.

It will take years for the temptations to go away. The devils will return every day and night to offer you the opportunity to rehearse the sin you have laid down, but God will deliver you from yielding to the pull of temptation. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. He is able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him.

The next move is yours. Are you so far gone that before the week is out you will return to that dirty place, or will you repent toward God and see your perversion come to an end? I wrote this for one reason – to see some children saved when daddy repents toward God. It’s your move. Your children, your wife, and your God are waiting.

The Cost of Following Jesus - David Platt

2010-02-28T13:34:00.000-06:00

Impressed

2010-02-20T21:31:00.006-06:00

Impressed - to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings

Today I was spending time putting together a new video for the song Impressed by Tedashii of Reach Records. It takes some time putting these videos together, especially songs because you are constantly listening to the song over and over to make sure that the lyrics are in sync with the song for people to follow along.

However for me listening to this song over and over has benefited me greatly.

The chorus of the song goes like this...

How can you hear about this God dawg and not get impressed?
The one that gave the sky its height and the ocean its depth
The one that hung all of the planets plus the moon and the sun
And let you hear this song that you might commune with the Son

How amazing the creation is, and yet how often do we fail to thank Him for it? The song writer mentions Isaiah 6 in the interlude and in the second verse. In Isaiah's vision he see's the Lord. I like the Geneva translation notes for this, "God does not show himself to man in his majesty but according as man's capacity to comprehend him, that is, by visible signs as John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove."

So in the capacity that Isaiah could see the Lord his response in verse 5 is amazing...

And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Sadly many christians today are caught up in trying to "experience life now" and having their "best life now", that we aren't impressed with God. We need to depart from these teachings of motivational teachers and embrace the God of the Bible! We need biblical repentance and whether we are suffering or prospering may God get all the glory and may we above all things be impressed by Him!

Don't Waste Your Life

2010-02-17T00:32:00.005-06:00

Well for the first post on this blog after my introductory post I wanted to post a sermon that has been so influential to me. It was this sermon that made me stop and think about exactly what I was doing with my life. It caused me to examine myself as 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to do.

It was this sermon that showed me the vanity of my life and the stuff I sought after was a waste! None of those things I sought after could ever provide true joy in my life. This sermon put so much in perspective for me that I regret that I did not hear it when it was first preached in December of 2003.

However God is sovereign and perfect, and I believe that I heard and saw this sermon at just the right time in my life. And my earnest prayer for those that watch this, no matter what your age, is that the Holy Spirit will speak to your conscience as He did me and you will join me in saying....

DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE!

It is official...

2010-02-15T22:36:00.007-06:00

I have finally entered the world of blogging. At one time I despised blogs because in my limited perspective of them, I just assumed they were for people to just say whatever silly or insignificant thought that crossed their minds.

While I believe that is still true I have come to realize the good that can come from blogs. I can picture one of my favorite pastor's saying..."don't waste your blog." So with this blog I intend to do exactly that and not waste this blog.

I am not a theologian, pastor, elder etc. I am simply a christian who has been saved from my sins by the grace and mercy of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This blog will not, (Lord willing), mention anything that does not in some way bring glory to God.

This blog is just a small step on a path that the Lord is calling me to. I pray that the things I post and possibly write will not only strengthen others but also myself.

I look forward to this journey and pray that I will be unashamed of the Gospel!