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Valuing Life By Its Utility

4/30/2018

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO --- Canada is fast becoming the Niagara Falls of euthanasia, rushing to join the "infamous three" -- the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium -- by now permitting the joint euthanasia of elderly couples.

A Globe and Mail reporter interviewed the couple before they were put down, and the family was well aware of their plans. There were apparently no efforts at suicide prevention.

The first time the couple asked to be killed, their doctor -- a pro-euthanasia advocate -- approved both their deaths. But the second-opinion MD refused to certify because the husband did not have a diagnosed condition. So, the couple carried on for another year.

The next time they asked for joint euthanasia, the first doctor made sure that the required second opinion was made by a different doctor. From the Globe and Mail story:

The doctor who first assessed Mr. Brickenden for his eligibility in January, 2017 -- the same doctor who would ultimately inject the lethal medications on the evening of his death -- said that kind of stoicism and the fact that Mr. Brickenden still looked good at the time of his appointment may have played a role in his being turned down for an assisted death the first time.

More than a year later, after Mr. Brickenden's fainting and heart problems surfaced, a different, second doctor assessed Mr. Brickenden and found him eligible.

I'll bet the second doctor is known as pro-euthanasia too. Death-doctor shopping. If one MD won't give you death, just find a different doctor who will. This happens in the U.S. too.

There was a time when the joint suicides of elderly people -- technically, these were homicides -- were deemed to be tragic, and families wracked their hearts wondering what could have been done to save them.

No longer. This joint killing was celebrated and romanticized with a going away party held by the family and supported by the local Anglican dean:

Two nights before their death, the Brickendens went out for one last date at Opus, their favourite restaurant in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood.

The next night, they bid farewell to more than 20 members of their immediate family at a bon voyage dinner at their daughter Pamela's apartment.

The evening of their deaths was more intimate, Pamela, Angela and Saxe told me two days later. "It couldn't have been a better way to go. Totally peaceful," Angela said. "It allowed them to bow out gracefully together, as they lived."

Present were Pamela, Saxe and Angela, their spouses, the two doctors and Andrew Asbil, the Dean of Toronto's St. James Cathedral, who later told me he had "without hesitation" supported the couple's wish for their funeral to be held at the Anglican church.

This is how the culture of death is normalized.

I have no reason to doubt this family loved their folks and think they were doing right by them. That's part of the problem with euthanasia!

But anyone who doesn't think that elderly euthanasia could also be coerced or arise out of fears of abandonment, doesn't understand human nature or our elder-abuse crisis.
For those with eyes to see, let them see.


This post was written by Wesley Smith.  His original post can be found here:  www.virtueonline.org/canada-couple-kill-themselves-joint-assisted-suicide-anglican-church-official-cheers-them?


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Uncle Buddy:  The Bible Has Never Lied

4/29/2018

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The Bible is the only Book I ever heard tell of that tells the truth on everybody who ever lived or who ever is living, or who ever will live. The Bible has never lied on any of them. It is the only Book which is hated and cursed by every atheist and agnostic and by every skeptic and infidel who have ever lived on this planet. One infidel said that the reason he fought the Bible was that it fought him, and that the reason he did not let the Book alone was that it did not leave him alone. There is not one case on record where a dying atheist or a dying agnostic or a dying skeptic or a dying infidel did not have to acknowledge that the Bible is true and that it is inspired by God. God’s plan for fallen man is, a Holy Bible for a whole world and a salvation from all sin for all men, provided through the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the creed of all churches when it is boiled down and skimmed and the skimmings are analyzed.

In the June 24, 1931, issue of the Pentecostal Herald, there is a statement from Reverend John Wesley that is worth repeating and then remembering. In my reading I have not seen anything that covers so much territory in so few words. Here is the statement: “I beg leave to give a short, clear, strong argument for the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible must be the invention of good men or angels, of bad men or devils, or of God. First, it could not be the invention of good men or angels, for they neither would nor could write a book and tell lies all the time they were writing it, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ when it was their own invention. Second, it could not be the invention of bad men or devils, for they could not make a book, which commands all duty, forbids all sin and condemns their own souls to hell for all eternity. Third, therefore, I draw the conclusion that the Bible must be given by divine inspiration.”

Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson. Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition.





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Cost of the Water of Life

4/28/2018

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I have heard that during the battle of Fredericksburg there as a little patch of ground which was occupied in turn by the contending forces. It was covered with the dead and the dying; and all through the afternoon of a weary day, the cry was heard:  "Water, water!!"

A Southern soldier begged of his captain to be allowed to answer these piteous cries, but was met with refusal:  "No; it would be certain death!"  He persisted, however, saying: "Above the roar of the artillery and the crack of the muskets I hear those cries for water:  let me go!!"  

He set out with a bucket of water and a tin cup; for awhile the bullets sang around him, but he seemed to bear a charmed life.  Then, as the Federals  beyond the field perceived his purpose, the firing gradually ceased; and for an hour and a half there was an armistice, while the soldier in gray, in full sight of both armies, went about on his errand of mercy.  

Verily, that was the truce of God!!

And this was the kindness of our Lord.  He came from Heaven to bring the cup of cold water to the dying men.  Ah, that was the greatest kindness that was ever known.  It was the most sublime heroism too.  

But the firing did not cease when He came to us with the water from the well beside the gate at Bethlehem; His mercy toward us cost Him His life.  

What shall we render unto the Lord for His loving kindness??


D.J. Burrell, pages 22-23 in ​​One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations, edited by Webb, A. (1924).  New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers

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Ongoing Conversations

4/27/2018

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Like many college students, I was required (forced?) to read great literature from world-renowned writers.  I use terms like “required” and “forced” because, at that time in my life, I likely would not have volunteered to read those incredible novels and plays in my spare time. 

I often wish that I got as much enjoyment from them in those hectic college days as I do now when re-reading these great works.  At that time, many of these “have to” works were simply checklist items to plow through, (hopefully) pass a test on, and then move ahead to the next assignment. 

Today, in sermons, lectures, and in conversations, some of these classic works come to mind and are quite useful to me.  When I read them or think about them today, over 25 years later, key phrases, characters, and struggles in these classic works are becoming much more meaningful to me. 

The works themselves certainly have not changed.  Shakespeare’s Hamlet is as melancholy now as he was when I was a teen.  Vladimir and Estragon are still “waiting for Godot,” the way they were the last time I read the Samuel Beckett play of the same name.  Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird is still today looking for ways to teach his children and his community something about justice, compassion, and truth.  These classics and others like them have remained, but I see them differently and care more deeply about them now than I did then. 

Perhaps the experiences God has led me through in these last few decades have given me more perspective than I had as a semi-bored and overly busy teenager and young adult. Now I have a connection to these stories and characters. 

I think that reading the Bible is that way for me, too.  Although the Bible is more than simply a classic work of literature – it is that, of course, but also much more to those of us who follow Jesus – I note a similar phenomenon as the years pass. 

Daily Bible readings for me began with a Sunday school teacher who promised to reward our elementary class each Sunday morning if we read our Bibles every day of the week prior.  Out of sheer competitiveness, I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a day reading the Bible so I could get the prize for the week!  However, as time went on, and as these initial reading habits continued, I received an even greater prize: the Holy Spirit used this Bible reading to move me closer to Jesus! 

Over these past few decades since that Sunday school class, the Bible has become quite familiar to me.  However, each time I read and process it based on the journey God continues to lead me on, the words come alive, and the transformation continues. 

Do you want to become more familiar with Scripture this year?  Would you like to read the Bible more but feel that you already know the stories?  Revisit the wonderful gift of the Bible this year and allow the Holy Spirit to connect your journey with the purposes of God found in Scripture!  This year, commit to joining the Psalmist in proclaiming, “I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).


Prayer for the week:

May the Spirit of all Truth open our minds today as we read and study Your word, and may we be willing to be led into all truth and to be taught what is the will of the Father in each of our lives. Give us willing hearts and the opportunity to share with others the pearls of truth You would teach us today.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen. 

This post was written by Charles W. Christian the managing editor of Holiness Today.  You can find the original post here:  holinesstoday.org/ongoing-conversations

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The Mind of Christ

4/26/2018

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Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, - Philippians 2:3-5

Observation:

When this section comes to a conclusion we discover that Paul is talking about the mind of Christ. It is the character of God which is selfless, doing nothing out of selfish ambition, but everything for others. It is God’s character that is humble, which is why the incarnate Christ came for humanity. We are invited to participate with Christ, so that his mind becomes our mind, and his characteristics become our characteristics. 

Application:

When we are in Christ we discover the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit unites us in fellowship with the Triune God. It is there that we discover the mind of Christ. His thoughts become our thoughts. His passions become our passions. His humility becomes our humility. His characteristics become our characteristics. 

The life of a Christian becomes a witness to the presence of Christ. There should be an obvious transformation in the lives of God’s children, and the result visible for all. God didn’t take on the characteristic of humility, but his humility always existed. It was because of God’s humility that Christ became incarnate for all of humanity. The visible expression of the incarnation reveals the character of God’s holy love. Selfless self-giving for the sake of others becomes the overwhelming picture into which we are invited to be drawn. 

If there is no humility; no putting others above yourself, then maybe we need to question whether we truly are in Christ. This is the witness of the Spirit in our lives, the mind of Christ, actively engaged in our daily lives. This brings glory to God. 

Prayer:

Lord, I want to know you more. I want the mind of Christ to be revealed in who I am on a daily basis. Amen. 

This post was written by Rev Carla Sunburg.  You can find her original post here:  reflectingtheimage.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-mind-of-christ.html


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Be like Job:  Make a Covenant With Your Eyes

4/25/2018

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The past several weeks have led to a lot of introspection. As someone who has struggled with pornography addiction and has found a measure of liberty (and someone who is also given to endless navel-gazing) I’ve asked a lot of difficult questions about real freedom and the nature of addiction and bondage.

As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”


I remember the late nights laying in bed wondering if I could sneak downstairs, unseen by roommates, to feed my addiction. I remember finding those quiet corners of the public library, convincing myself that I was only there to check my email. I remember the late night drives to video rental places hoping I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew. I also remember when the desire to view pornography got so bad that I stopped worrying if I would run into anyone.

About five years ago I wrote in my prayer journal about Job 31 and how the text was a sort of inspiration to me: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman.” (Job 31:1, NLT). Job said this in the midst of defending himself against three friends who didn’t believe in his innocence. Surely with the level of suffering Job had encountered (losing nearly all his family, property, and health), he had to have done something sinful to incur such judgment from God. Job defends his integrity at every point, and in his final appeal mentions the covenant he made with his eyes. Job is innocent of lust.

What hit me about this text is that when God speaks in the book He still proclaims Job an innocent man: none of Job’s sufferings were a judgment for sin. God says of Job, “He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.” (Job 1:8). So this whole bit about Job making a covenant with his eyes is true, not just an empty boast.

How can I make a covenant with my eyes like Job? I found Job’s speech quite inspiring. Read on . . .
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 Does not he see my ways
and number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 then let me sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife grind for another,
and let others bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.”
– Job 31:1-12 (ESV) –



As someone who struggled so deeply with sexual addiction, I knew that Job’s perspective needed to become my own if I was going to find freedom. Here are some observations:

1. Job knows that nothing escapes God’s view: “Does not He see my ways and number all my steps?” (v.4). The Hebrew term translated “number” gives the idea of numbering something exactly, and could be translated “rehearse”—as if God can run a play-by-play of every action we’ve ever taken. He sees not just the results of our actions nor just the steps visible to other people: He sees every small detail and never misses a beat.

2. Job understands the heart of God’s desire about sexuality; he says, “how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (v.1). The word “virgin” is bĕthuwlah, and comes from a root word meaning “separate.” The word can refer to a literal virgin woman or man, or a woman newly married. Job’s thought is that women were separate: he does not have the right to lustfully look upon a woman, to covet her, because the woman’s body does not belong to him. As Paul would later write, “For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7:4). So true with the woman or man not yet pledged to be married: their sexuality is not for anyone to covet but for a future husband or wife to have.

3. Job understands the nature of sexual desire. His promise to himself is to not “gaze” upon a young woman (v.1). Other translations say, “look intently” (GLT), “look lustfully” (NIV), “stare with desire” (CEV), or “undress a girl with my eyes” (Message). The word carries the idea of marking something in the mind, thinking intently on something. These are no momentary glances or simple appreciations of beauty: this is a bold stare that allows the mind and heart to be engaged in concentration. This is the first step of lust. The second step is mentioned in verse 7: Job says, “if . . . my heart has gone after my eyes,” or as the NIV says, “if my heart has been led by my eyes.” It is not God’s design for our eyes to lead our heart—to simply rush after all that we see—yet the power of the eye is amazing. Current research estimates that the human retina can transmit visual input at about the same rate as an Ethernet connection. The heart that is led by the eyes is trapped in the habit of letting the eyes roam free and putting no filter on what thoughts of the heart will consider. The last step of lust is the heart being “enticed toward a woman” (v.9). This word, “entice,” can be translated “seduce” (HCSB, NLT) and means “to make gullible” or be “simple-minded.” When the heart is enticed it means that it now sees things only through the lens of what is in front of the eye: the pleasure of seeing a beautiful woman, the gratification her image offers. The simple heart no longer sees the big picture, no longer sees God’s viewpoint.

4. Job understands that God does not remain silent when it comes to sexual sin. “What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?” (v.2) he asks. What does Job expect from the God who sees all? If Job allows lust to take hold, he expects “calamity;” (other translations say “disaster,” “ruin,” “destruction”). Job says he expects “someone else [to] harvest the crops I have planted, . . . all that I have planted [will] be uprooted” (v.8, NLT). This was one of the curses for disobedience to God’s covenant in Leviticus 26:16 and Deuteronomy 28:33. What’s striking about Job’s expectation is that he not only thinks that God will discipline him for his sin, but he agrees with God’s justice on this matter. Listen to the way he phrases things, “let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me be rooted out. . . . let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her.” LETthis be my just punishment, he says. Job sees how lust that leads to adultery is a “heinous crime” (v.11) and he wholeheartedly agrees with God’s justice on those who turn to that way of life.

5. Understanding all this, Job makes a covenant with his eyes. A covenant is a solemn vow, a pledge, like a constitution drawn up between parties. There was a former time in Job’s life where he saw how easily his eyes could lead his heart to sin, and he made a formal agreement with his eyes that they were never to lock on to the image of a woman. He made a formal agreement with his mind to never dwell on the mental images of a woman.

What would it look like to make a covenant like this today?

  • Start by understanding one’s own limitations. Job understood that the human body has its urges. The eyes will take in any information placed in front of them. Even for the Christian who has the indwelling Holy Spirit, there is a power of sin that still dwells in the physical members of our body (Romans 7:23). This will be a fact until the day our bodies are raised in glory like Jesus.
  • Next, understand and wholeheartedly agree with God’s design for sexuality. Sexual desire is one of the most powerful urges in the human body. It is like a fire. Kept in a fire-pit or fireplace, a fire is productive, warming, and a great blessing. Let loose it is a raging, destructive force, or as Job says, “a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon [destruction].” As we cultivate a healthy respect for our sexual urges, we must decide to channel them in the direction they were meant to go, towards building healthy, godly relationships, and eventually consummating a special covenant made with a husband or wife.
  • In light of these inherent weaknesses, I admit the need for an eye-covenant, a radical act and declaration of obedience. Usually the first step in making a covenant like this involves real repentance, turning away from our own deficient understanding and practice of sexuality and embracing what the Maker of sexuality says about it.
  • When God made a covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai, He wrote the terms of the covenant on two tablets of stone; like a lawyer drafting a contract, God makes two copies (one for Himself, one for Israel). So it helps for us in our battle with sexual sin to put it into writing. Look at the areas where we find our eyes wandering (at the gym, on the internet, etc.) and write down specifically what we are deciding to do and not do.
What is so unique about Job’s testimony is that he is not simply talking about rule-keeping; he knows that the potential problem of sexual temptation lies in his heart. He knows that it is his heart that must be guarded from following his wandering eyes. Job’s eye-covenant is not merely what Paul calls “will worship” (Colossians 2:23, KJV), where we just “try harder” to be pure, promoting our own “self-made religion and asceticism.” No. This is not the covenant Job made. Job’s covenant was one of the heart.

Ultimately, Job’s heart was captured by something greater than rule-keeping or moral freedom. His heart was captured with the one he calls “the Almighty” (v.2), the great and powerful God. Job is a man who knows “the fear of the Almighty” (6:14). He speaks of “the wrath of the Almighty” (21:20) against wickedness and sin. And in Job’s final defense he speaks tenderly of his former days, “as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me” (29:4-5). Imagine that: the friendship of God, friendship with the Almighty. The word “friendship” is a Hebrew word that refers to an intimate circle of friends that share deep secrets and converse with familiarity. It is the kind of friendship that David knew when he wrote, “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14), or as The Message puts it, “God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones He confides in.”
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As those who pursue sexual wholeness, we must pursue first spiritual wholeness; we must pursue friendship with the Almighty as Job did. This is the paradox of paradoxes: that the Almighty might befriend us. Look to the face of Jesus, the one who brings God near, and when He has truly captured your heart, fall at his feet and call Him friend.

This post was written by Luke Gilkerson of Covenant Eyes.  You can find his original post here:

http://www.covenanteyes.com/2008/01/05/jobs-covenant-with-his-eyes/ 


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Porn and Loneliness

4/24/2018

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As a young college student, I received an opportunity to participate in a pastoral internship at an inner-city church in a neighboring state. After arrival and a brief orientation, I was left on my own to settle in. I had a few hours to kill, so I drove around town and finally decided to stop at a local steakhouse to eat.

I was greeted by a roar of conversation as I entered the restaurant. Countless happy families, couples, and groups of friends smiled and laughed as they enjoyed their meals.

There was nothing unusual about this—it’s a typical scene at a restaurant, after all—except for the fact that I was eating alone for one of the first times in my life. And it was an acutely painful feeling. I was in a new city surrounded by complete strangers. They didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them. We didn’t matter to each other, and it was a depressing thought. As I sat waiting for my food, I felt exposed and terribly uncomfortable.

To relieve my discomfort, I quickly pulled out my smartphone (a new invention at the time) and began shuffling through text messages and social media apps. It was a shield of sorts, to deflect the pain of being alone. And it worked. Scrolling through endless social media content, I was briefly soothed and distracted from my isolation—at least enough to get me through the meal.

The Epidemic of Loneliness
While it may sound exaggerated to say that eating alone can be painful, anyone who has done it knows that it’s true. Tragically, an increasing number of Americans are living the painful reality of loneliness on a daily basis—and not just at meals, but constantly. Loneliness and isolation are becoming the norm for millions of people.

Research shows rates of loneliness among adults have doubled from 20% to 40% since the 1980s. And according to the General Social Survey, an annual study of societal conditions in the United States, the average American has not a single close friend to confide in or rely on in a crisis. Not one.

In the U.K., 9 million people report being frequently or always lonely. The crisis is so severe that the British government recently appointed a Minister for Loneliness to help resolve the issue. “For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life,” British prime minister Teresa May said during the announcement. “I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of us to take action to address the loneliness endured by the elderly, by carers, by those who have lost loved ones—people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.”

Social isolation is not only a painful feeling; but it can also have devastating physical effects. Studies have shown that loneliness is linked to an increased risk of a whole range of health conditions, from cancer to diabetes, and it can be significantly more harmful to health than heavy smoking or chronic obesity. Loneliness is also linked to increased risk of suicide, and it can make you twice as likely to die prematurely.

Loneliness and Pornography Use
What does the epidemic of loneliness have to do with pornography use? Studies show that loneliness can be one of the primary drivers of addictive behavior. In his book, Chasing the Scream, addiction researcher and investigative journalist Johann Hari argues that social isolation can be one of the primary causes and ongoing fuels of addiction. The more disconnected you are from meaningful relationships, the more vulnerable you are to addictive behavior of all kinds.

That addictive behavior includes pornography use. A recent study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy found a strong positive association between loneliness and pornography use. Put simply, if you’re chronically lonely, you’re far more likely to use porn on a regular basis.

How did we get here?
The breakdown of social connections has created an epidemic of loneliness, and a whole range of social ills have developed as a result. As research has been showing for decades, the physical and emotional consequences of loneliness are very real. Tragically, millions of men and women live with these consequences on a daily basis.

But why are we so lonely? And perhaps more importantly, why is loneliness so devastating to the human person and what does it have to do with pornography? After all, our culture praises the primacy of the individual. Independence, self-reliance, and autonomy are all virtues we are told to value from a young age. If such beliefs are true, we should be able to function fine in isolation from others.

But we don't. Loneliness often leads to increased porn use.  The keys to breaking free from porn is to be transparent about your use, seeking support, and becoming more spiritually attuned to God's love for you.

This post was written by Sam Gutzman of Covenant Eyes.  You can find his original post and sign up for his series on loneliness and porn here:  www.covenanteyes.com/2018/03/27/porn-and-the-epidemic-of-loneliness-part-1/



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When will you choose freedom?

4/23/2018

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You know, we live in a weird world. Our society shames people for acknowledging that you can’t do it all alone.

I’m convinced that the individualism we love to champion is actually destroying us. Why is there such a stigma surrounding the need for others?

What are we trying to prove? And to whom?

We weren’t meant to do everything all alone.

When it comes to avoiding or overcoming habits – and especially something that can be as addictive as pornography – we need help more than ever. I would love it if we could be a part of rewriting the script – doing away with the word “shame” and replacing it with something like “brave.”

Certainly, vulnerability takes bravery, and there is nothing shameful about doing anything and everything that you can to protect yourself, your family, and your future from the devastating effects that pornography can have on you and the ones you love.

It. Is. Everywhere.

From interstate billboards to the nightly news to the magazine rack in an airport souvenir store to the iPhone in your back pocket, pornography has become a normalized, everyday part of our culture.

Perhaps most notably as of late: the current scandal surrounding the President of the United States.

I think that it should be a wake-up call to all of us. I suppose I’m taking a risk even mentioning it, what with how volatile our current political climate, but I also think it must be said. We have an opportunity to learn something profound here.

For those who aren’t aware, President Donald Trump and a pornography star named Stormy Daniels are currently in the middle of a big, public lawsuit. A bunch of news outlets have been covering the story, and 60 Minutes just ran a special in an attempt to piece the puzzle together, as well.

In short: years ago, long before his presidency, Mr. Trump met Stormy Daniels at a celebrity golf tournament that takes place every year in Tahoe, Utah. There is plenty to be read about their encounters elsewhere, but the point is:

This is the world we live in. 

A world whose norm finds pornography stars handing out grab bags at a concessions booth at a golf game.

A world where those same pornography stars are literally a click away on the phone your pocket.

A world where decisions twelve years past are coming back to haunt (and potentially destroy) a person now.

Depending on your thoughts regarding President Trump, you might think that’s good, or that it’s a shame, but please don’t miss the point here.

This is not about whether a man is fit for office. It is about the fact that culture trickles down from the top, and who is more “top” than the president?

It is about the fact that the decisions we make matter, and our choices now might just make or break the lives we’re living years – or even decades – on down the line.

Maybe you already understand this.

There is an amazing difference in the freedom we feel between denying or fighting against the past versus making choices that will change our future… for the better.

Will you choose freedom?

By that I mean: will you choose to let other people into your life?
To help you where you need it? 

When you say “yes” to help, you begin swimming against the current.

You take the initiative that many people never take – whether for the fear of honesty, or the shame of bringing secrets out of the shadows, or the pride of believing that you’ve got this on your own.

It is okay – more than that: it is courageous and commendable – to invite others into your life who are willing and able to help you through the struggles you face.

This is the whole reason we created Small Groups Online.

We all need help as much as anyone.

Accountability matters. 
Community matters.
Having support and encouragement matters.


I hope you can see how beneficial it is to be open and honest with others and invite them into your life.

Try out an online small group today. See the difference it can make in your life and in your recovery.

This post was written by Craig Gross of XXXChurch.com.  You can sign up for the online small groups by clicking HERE


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Uncle Buddy:  The Hardest Thing Bud Ever Did

4/22/2018

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The hardest thing I have ever done was to confess Bud Robinson's sins.  Gentlemen, I had to nearly sweat blood and just about spit fire, but I went down a crying and met Jesus and then came up a flying.  

The easiest thing I have ever done was to confess the other fellows sins, when he wasn't there to listen to me.

Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson. Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition.

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Universality of the Atonement

4/21/2018

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Suppose a will is made by a rich man bequeathing certain property to certain unknown persons, described only by the name of "the elect."  

They are not described otherwise than by this term, and all agree that although the maker of the will had the individuals definitely in his mind, yet that he left no description of them, which neither the persons themselves, the courts, nor any living mortal can understand.

Now such a will is of necessity altogether null and void.  

No living man can claim under such a will, and none the better though these elected were described as residents of Oberlin.  Since it does not embrace all the residency of Oberlin, and does not dein which of them, all is lost.  All having an equal claim and none any definite claim, none can inherit.

If the atonement were made in this way, no living man would have any valid reason for believing himself to be one of the elect, prior to his reception of the Gospel.  Hence, he would have no authority to believe and receive its blessings by faith.

In fact, the atonement must be wholly void - on this supposition - unless a special revelation is made to the person for whom it is intended.  


C.G. Finney, pages 21-22 in ​​One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations, edited by Webb, A. (1924).  New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers

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