Haste for Riches Leads to Sin

The Best Is Yet To Come!

Rabbi Marty Waldman - Personal Testimony

I had the privilege of welcoming my good friend, Rabbi Marty Waldman from Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue to the Promiseland Live! telecast recently while I guest hosted for Mike and Hazel Simons on the Promiseland Television network. Rabbi Marty, child of Holocaust survivors, shares his personal testimony of how he came to faith in Jesus (Yeshua) and discusses the prophetic significance of modern Messianic Judaism.

Holy Spirit Fullness - The Gift of Spiritual Language (Speaking in Tongues)

Here is the broadcast Teresa and I hosted for Mike and Hazel Simons this past Monday. During the first hour, we minister to people who are involved in occultic practices. During the second hour, we minister the fullness of the Holy Spirit and share about the importance and role of spiritual language (the gift of tongues).

More Promiseland TV Broadcasts

Here a are a couple of more recent broadcasts from the Promiseland Television Network. In the first, Teresa and I host the Promiseland Live! telecast. In the first half of the broadcast, I share thoughts about the way Jesus delivers us from shame. In the second half of the broadcast, Teresa shares a message about what it means to follow Jesus with all our hearts.



In the second broadcast, I join Mike and Hazel Simons for the last hour and share some thoughts about revival.

Last Sunday's Healing Service - Mike & Hazel Simons, Jimmy & Becky Pearce - Promiseland Television Network

I trust your week is off to a good start. Teresa, the children, and I drove over to East Texas after lunch Sunday to spend the night at a cabin together. Jean-Marc and Charity always love having a few hours with us without any distractions. As our Children’s Pastor, Susan Rutledge, often says, “Children spell ‘love” like this: ‘T-I-M-E’!”

Ever since last Sunday, I have found my thoughts going back to our special healing service with Mike and Hazel Simons, Jimmy and Becky Pierce, and the Promiseland Television Network team. I want to share some of my reflections with you. I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Please understand that my heart is very, very full!

The ministry time following Pastor Mike’s message lasted until 4:30pm and neither he nor the Pierces ever missed a beat…! Having travelled around the world in ministry for many years, I am no stranger to lengthy altar services or to large crowds desiring personal ministry, but I have never before seen a preacher take so much time to interact invidually with so many people in one service. That is a real tribute to Pastor Mike’s love for God and for people. Our ushers estimate that he personally laid hands on over five hundred persons. It reminded me of the time I heard Richard Roberts say that his father Oral’s shoulder joints have completely disintegrated through the repetitive motion of laying hands on so many people over so many years. Pastor Eduardo Ribeiro from our Brazilian Ministry reported to me this morning that they also experienced a supernatural outpouring in their 7pm Portuguese language service that evening.

Teresa and I were also deeply touched by the way Hazel Simons remained completely engaged in prayer and focused faith throughout the entire time. Mike and Hazel obviously have a deep love for each other and are equally committed to their ministry. This speaks volumes about them as people. One of the best evidences of any minister’s character is a happy wife and family. They typically know much more about what goes on behind the scenes in a man’s life than anyone else around them! I am also very thankful for the way the Simons were so easy to work with “behind the scenes.” They made no demands financially and were very easy to please in every way. What a refreshing contrast to the attitude of many ministers today, such as the ones I wrote about in my blog post entitled, Fire in Grady’s Bones. Teresa and I did our best to feed their entire entourage a fine dinner at Maggiano’s afterwards on your behalf. If you would like to add something to the offering we received for the Promiseland Television Network this past Sunday, you can do so by contacting our church office. We will be sure to forward every cent of anything you designate for PTN. We want to be as generous with them as we possibly can in response to the way that they have ministered to us.

If you received a definite, supernatural touch from the Lord on Sunday, I want to encourage you to rejoice over it and walk it out in faith without trying to understand everything about it or analyze how it happened. Know that Satan often tries to take things away from us that God has given to us. We must stand on God’s Word in order to prevent the enemy from stealing the blessing we have received. It is very important to clearly discern exactly what God is saying to you and then to trust Him to fulfill His promise. Sometimes the Lord speaks to us through people, sometimes He speaks directly into our hearts and thoughts by His Spirit. When such “spoken” or “rhema” words come from Him, they always line up with the Bible, His written word. You must listen “beyond” whatever human voice He may choose to use and beyond the voice of your own mind so you can hear what He is saying to you. Do not focus your thoughts, your spirit, or your faith on anything I said to you or that Pastor Mike said to you, simply because we said it and because you have confidence in us as servants of the Lord. Focus your faith on what you know for sure God was saying to your heart and soul by His Spirit. As you stand on His word to you, remember to “feed your faith” and “starve your doubts!”

If you did not receive a physical healing or some other answer that you were seeking from the Lord, remember this very, very important truth - GOD LOVES YOU, TOO…! Do not allow Satan to play tricks with your mind or “mess” with your spirit by planting seeds of doubt, disallusionment, or bitterness in your heart. God is sovereign and He expresses His love and faithfulness to each one of us at different times and in different ways. He loves us all and He cares about all of our needs…! Continue to look to Jesus as your answer. What He was, He still is and what He did, He still does! Many times, God profoundly touches people in the days and weeks that follow such a service as they reflect on what they saw God do and as they hear testimonies from the lips of others around them who received a miracle. God is not limited to our church facility. He can meet you right now in your home or office as you reach out to Him!

For some people, the most controversial and hard to understand part of such a service, especially if they have never been present in one before, is seeing people fall down as they are being prayed for. I have heard all types of theological, biblical, and historical arguments for and against this phenomenon, including a European perspective that in Scripture the only people who fell to the ground fell forward, not backward. According to that paradigm, the only “biblical” way to fall to the ground “under the power” is on our faces, not on our backs. My letter to you today is not intended to be a theological treatise. I am just going to share with you the conversation I had with our nine year old daugher, Charity, on Sunday evening. As we were lying together on the couch watching the fire die down in the fireplace of the cabin our family was staying in, she suddenly looked up at me and asked, “Daddy, why did the people fall down Sunday while they were being prayed for?” Here is the gist of my answer to her question on a level she could understand:

“Sweetheart, people fall down in church for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it is because they suddenly sense the power of the Holy Spirit in an unusual way and they are no longer thinking or concentrating on standing up and they get “lost” in the Spirit and lose their balance. On the Day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they did something that caused people to think they were drunk. It may well have been falling down or staggering around without their normal balance. Drunk people do not suddenly start speaking in languages they have never learned like the disciples did or have tongues of fire suddenly appear on their heads like it says in the Book of Acts, so it wasn’t those things that caused people to think they were drunk.

Daddy has seen some other people fall down because I was so excited and enthusiastic about what I felt in the Spirit when I prayed for them, and about what I believed God was going to do for them, that when I laid my hands on their heads and prayed, I grabbed their heads or laid my hand on their forehead harder than I meant to, and I knocked them off balance and they fell over. That is why Daddy tries to be really careful about the way I lay hands on people when I pray for them, because I don’t want to accidentally knock somebody over and have them get hurt. Some other people who come up for prayer really want to fall down because they have seen other people fall down when they had a profound encounter with God and they want to experience it, too. They think if they don’t fall down as well then there is something wrong with them, so if I touch them at all or if they feel any touch of the Spirit at all, then they fall over. Sweetheart, I have even seen some people fall down in church because the preacher praying for them mistakenly thought that pushing them over would help them get in the Spirit so they could receive their blessing from God.

There are lots of different reasons why different people fall down in church services. I cannot tell you exactly why everyone fell down Sunday, but this I can say for sure…at least some of those people fell down because they were having a very, very profound encounter with God. When we prayed for Pastor Alvin, for instance, it felt like he had just been hit with a lightening bolt. I was standing nearby and I suddenly felt a really, really strong jolt of supernatural power, as strong as I have ever felt before at any time in my entire life, something like a thousand volts of electricity, something I do not even know how to describe. I believe God did something very, very special for Pastor Alvin in that moment, and I believe God did special things for many other people on Sunday morning, too.

Sweetheart, people fall down in church for all kinds of reasons. The most important thing is not whether or not they fall down, or even why they fall down, but rather, what happens in their hearts and lives and bodies, whether or not they receive a special touch from the Lord and have a supernatural encounter with Him. So don’t try to figure out or worry about why this or that person fell down when they were prayed for. Just thank God for what He did for those people who encountered Him in a very special way today and pray that they will let Him do everything that He wants to do in their lives in the days to come.”

On a personal level, what probably impacted me the most Sunday was seeing the desperate needs and intense hunger in the hearts and lives of the people who came forward for prayer, specifically in the area of divine healing. All throughout the afternoon, I kept thinking of New Testament passages like these,

"40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people…42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him…" (Luke 4:40-42 NIV)

"32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons…35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”…45 Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere…1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them." (Mark 1:32-2:2 NIV)

"9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him." (Mark 3:9-10 NIV)

"54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed. " (Mark 6:54-56 NIV)

" 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." (Matthew 4:23-24 NIV)

This last Sunday’s service dramatically illustrates the effectiveness of supernatural ministry in response to people’s greatest needs. At Hillcrest Church, we are called by God to become a place where people know they can encounter Him in a supernatural way. As we consistently move people into God’s manifest presence and the word gets out that this is the case, our auditorium will not be large enough to contain the crowds. People desperately need the Lord and they will come when they know they can enounter Him in our midst!

As we move forward, I want to ask you to pray for the following things:

1. Pray for each person who came forward for prayer this past Sunday. Pray that those who were touched by the Lord would allow God to finish the deep and wonderful work that He has started in them through the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray for those who have not yet seen what they believe God has promised them, that their faith will not fail, even when Satan tries to persuade them to doubt the Lord. Pray for those who did not receive their miracle, that they would rest in the certainty of God’s love for them as well.
2. Pray for the Promiseland Television Network, Mike and Hazel Simons, Jimmy and Becky Pierce, their families, and their team. Pray that God will protect them and provide for them. Pray that God will reward them for the considerable investment of their time, energy, and gifts to us as a church family. Pray that He will pour abundant provision out upon them so that they can move forward into the next season that He has planned for their ministry. Specifically, pray that the fiber optic cable they have ordered will be installed quickly on our church campus so that we can begin broadcasting our own program.
3. Pray that God will help us retain the harvest He has granted us here at Hillcrest Church. Pray that we would connect in a meaningful way with all those He is calling to become part of our church family. Pray that we would be able to effectively disciple them into strong, mature, vibrant followers of Jesus Christ.
4. Pray that our Hillcrest church prayer team will move forward with greater anointing and stronger faith for prayer for the sick. Pray that we would see mighty miracles in our services on an ongoing basis.
5. Pray for the finances of Hillcrest Church. December was a fantastic month, but our church offerings in January so far have been far lower than our needs. Please pray that God’s full provision will be released upon our ministry.

I want to thank each one of you for the way you have responded to my call to seek the Lord in a special way during these opening days of “2008 - A Year of New Beginnings!” I also want to thank all of you who made a special effort to come early to our Sunday service to help greet our many visitors. Some one hundred and fifty people either filled out visitor’s cards or signed in using our attendance books on Sunday morning!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Pastor Mike’s message and ministry time, as accurate as I can get them from pure memory, without having taken any notes:

“The supernatural is when God takes His super and adds it to your natural.”

“Signs are things that point you in the right direction.”

“Wonders are things that make you wonder.”

“When people ask me if they should go off their medicine, I tell them to go see their doctor and ask him. He is the one that put you on medicine. He should be the one that takes you off it.”

“If you are really healed, go see the doctor and let him confirm it.”

 

 

God touched the passengers...!

The BBC News website is carrying an item this afternoon about the British Airways crash landing in London earlier this week entitled, "Plane Passengers Touched by God." From the news reports such as CNN concerning the details of what happened, it certainly does seem to be a miralce that the plane was able to land with no loss of life on the air on on the ground. I have flown in and out of Heathrow on several occasions and it is situated in a highly populated are. Had the plane touched the ground even a few hundred feet earlier, there would have been massive destruction.

PTN telecasts - Plane crash testimony and Biblical prosperity

Here are a couple of more recent Promiseland Television Network broadcasts.

In the first, I host the broadcast and share thoughts from God's Word about the change the Christ of Christmas brings when we place our trust in Him. In both the first and second hour of the program, Pastor Jimmy Pierce of PTN gives a two-part testimony to God's faithfulness to him during a plane crash on a busy highway in Chicago, Illinois. Originally broadcast on 12/21/2007. Please note that approximately the first 30 seconds of these videos are blank. If you click on the "play" buttons in the windows, the videos will appear after some moments...!



Below is a broadcast where I appear as a guest of Pastor Mike Simons. In the second hour of the broadcast, we discuss Biblical principles of prosperity and the law of sowing and reaping. Originally broadcast on 12/13/2007.

Mike Huckabee and Kenneth Copeland

Followupg on my post, "What's This World Coming To?," I noticed that Kenneth Copeland recently interviewed Gov. Mike Huckabee regarding the question of how faith affects a person's character and their approach to public policy. To watch the Sunday "condensed" version of their exchange, click here. To watch the entire series of daily broadcasts featuring Gov. Huckabee, try looking on one of the following web pages: KCM current programs or KCM program archives. You may have to scroll down the page a bit to come to the listings for the Huckabee interview.

In another vein, Brian Bailey, author of, "The Blogging Church," recently wrote in his "Leave It Behind" blog following a poll he took of his readers to see which Christmas ads they liked best,

First, nearly everyone's favorite commercial was done by their favorite candidate. In a way, this should be obvious, but I still found it surprising. It's instructive to realize that when you're watching a speech or commercial by your candidate and thinking, How could anyone not like this guy?", others are wondering how anyone could. Once you've found a candidate whose message you connect with, you view everything about that person and his or her opponents through a filter.

Do you agree with that?

What's This World Coming To?

When I was a boy, our family always travelled at Christmas time to see my grandparents. At night, as we were drifting off to sleep in their home heated by a floor furnace, all the bedroom doors were left open so the warm air could circulate. As Grandpa Puckett was settling down, we would hear him sigh and say, "Oh Lord, what's this world coming to?" When I learned from the Dallas News' Religion blog of the controversy surrounding Presidential candidate Bill Huckabee's latest ad, because it mentions Jesus in connection with Christmas, about the only thing that came to mind was Grandpa's phrase. For a followup post on the same blog, click here. For an article that argues we should see more discussion of religion on the campaign trail, not less, click here. To see Governor Huckabee's ad for yourself, click on the "right arrow" in the middle of the screen below.

Promiseland Television Network Broadcasts

Many people from our church family have come to me asking how they could watch the recent broadcasts Teresa and I appeared on at the Promiseland Television Network. I just discovered a way to upload these video files to the internet for your convenience.

To watch our first joint guest appearance with Mike and Hazel Simons on Promiseland Live, click on the play button (the right "arrow") at the bottom of the second window below. Toward the end of the broadcast, I share a message entitled, "The Man Who Was Lost With the Roadmap in His Hand" from the Book of Acts, and Teresa speaks to the international constituency of the DFW Metroplex, giving an invitation to receive Christ.

To watch the first guest hosting we have done, click on the upper window. The theme of that broadcast is "Divine Healing" where we pray for the sick and I share thoughts on "What Every Sick Person Needs to Know About God." By clicking on the word, "Google" on either window, you will be taken to the host website where you can download either broadcast onto your computer or ipod.

Dorm Brothels, Etc. - Christianity Today articles that caught my eye

Christianity Today magazine posted an article today on their website drawn from their 2005 archives that every parent ought to read...and weep over in prayer for the youth of our nation. Entitled, "Dorm Brothel," it is lengthy and a tad literary in tone, but very moving. A parallel piece by prominent pastor and theologian John Piper entitled, "Gutsy Guilt" holds out hope for healing and forgiveness to all Christ followers who struggle with sexual sins.

In another vein, having preached yesterday on the Exodus account of God's parting the waters of the Red (or Reed) Sea, I found christian pollster George Barna's finding that, "...a substantial majority of Americans believes in the literal truth of six key Bible stories..." quite interesting. Here is how the percentages break down, according to Stan Guthrie's summary of Barna's research, "Taking Bible Stories Literally." When Americans are asked whether or not they believe a specific story in Scripture is "...literally true, meaning it happened exactly as described in the Bible...,"

Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection (75%);
Daniel in the Lion’s Den (65%);
Moses parting the Red Sea (64%);
David and Goliath (63%);
Peter walking on water (60%);
God creating the universe in six days (60%).

Guthrie goes on to note,

When you break down the numbers, it gets even more interesting. Several factors are correlated with less belief in a literal resurrection: high education, mainline vs. non-mainline Protestantism, Catholicism vs. Protestantism, and white vs. black. So, statistically speaking, a highly educated white Catholic or mainline professor from the Northeast would likely be more skeptical than a blue-collar African-American Protestant from the Midwest or South.

In a parallel piece entitled, "Ressurection of Jesus: So What?," Mark Galli opines,

The results are broken down by faith tradition, geography, race, and education. To take one overall finding, though: "The story of Jesus Christ rising from the dead, after being crucified and buried" was the story most widely embraced. Three out of four adults (75 percent) said they interpreted that narrative literally.

Yet polls and anecdotal evidence suggest that 75 percent of Americans are not living dedicated lives to the resurrected Jesus!

This should give us apologetic pause. A great deal of evangelical apologetics is about proving the historicity of the resurrection (or creation--intelligent design or 7-day--but nearly two-thirds of Americans already believe in a literal 7-day creation). The figures suggest that this is NOT the battle ground for most Americans. It is the relevance or meaning of the resurrection that seems to elude Americans. It is not a stretch for most people to believe that a God who created the universe could raise Jesus from the dead, among other miracles--Duh. What is a stretch is understanding what difference it makes.

Perhaps it's time for a new chapter in evangelical apologetics. Not "The Resurrection--Did it Happen?" but "The Resurrection--So What?"

Throughout history, the question and meaning of the empty tomb of Jesus have always been the central question of Christianity. As the Apostle Paul put it, according to Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 15:13-20,

"13 If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ. 14 And face it—if there’s no resurrection for Christ, everything we’ve told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you’ve staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. 15 Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there’s no resurrection. 16 If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. 17 And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. 18 It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. 19 If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. 20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries. " (1 Corinthians 15:12-20 The Message)

It is only through a personal relationship with the one who came back to life after being put to death on a cross that any of us can live a holy life. That is one of the reasons the resurrection of Jesus is so important - and wonderful!

" 1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." (Romans 6:1-4 NLT)

Touching the nations - One person at a time...!

These precious ladies are from the former Soviet Union.
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Touching the nations - right here in Dallas...!

This family is from the Congo.
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Many hands lighten the load...

Outreaches like these take a lot of work. We need you, too...!
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Operation Outreach

Our outreach is under way right now at the Sunchase apartments...!
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From Out of Africa - Jean Aimee Gifford

At Hillcrest Church, we are called to be a local church with a ministry that touches the world like the church at Antioch in the New Testament. As we walk people through the Discipleship Cycle (Bring, Heal, Train, Lead, and Send), God prepares them to impact whatever world He calls them to, whether it be the world of their own neighborhood across the backyard fence, a sphere of influence that spans many geographic localities, or another culture and belief system on the other side of an ocean.

It is our joy and privilege as a congregation to be used by the Lord to send our people wherever He calls them. One very special person we have recently sent into the world of the HIV pandemic is Jean-Aimee Gifford. A highly trained medical professional, she serves in Africa with an organization called Hands at Work. She has recently started blogging at wivafrica.blogspot.com. I encourage you to read her posts, find out more about her work, and let her know that you are praying for her!

Praying for Prodigals

Sometimes parents experience true anguish of soul as children they have raised to follow the Lord make very bad choices and turn their backs on Him. In such moments, prayer is extremely important. By pouring their hearts out to the Lord, parents can find healing and peace in spite of the circumstance. Even more importantly, their prayers are powerfully effective in seeing their prodigals come back into a right relationship with God.

Earlier this morning, I received an email with a touching article written by Francis Frangipane's daughter, Joy, chronicling some of her journey away from God, and then back to Him. Her words bear eloquent testimony to the power of parental prayer and provide a window into the heart and mind of some prodigals. If you are facing such a circumstance in your life, I encourage you to read her article entitled, Your Children Will Return.

Speaking of parent–child relationships, my parents, Kenneth and Vera Brand, will be ministering tonight, Wednesday, September 12th, during our Word and Worship service in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at 7pm. They have each been preaching God’s Word for more than fifty years, serving the Lord with integrity, dedication, and great fruitfulness. Anything I ever become or do for the glory of God in my life will be due in large part to the spiritual seeds they have sown in my life and the prayers they have prayed. I know their ministy in word and testimony will be a great blessing to all who hear them.

Terry and Rolanda Green will kick off a new LifeGroup for parents with children next Wednsday night, September 19th, by facilitating a dynamic video study series called Miracle Parenting, by Phil Phillips at 7pm in Room 214. Simply put, this material is the best I have ever seen on a practical, biblical approach to raising positive, healthy children who love Jesus with all their hearts. I encourage every parent that possibly can to in this study with them! And, don’t forget - we serve a delicious, inexpensive meal every Wednesday night from 5:30-6:30pm in our Performing Arts Center with full children’s ministry beginning at 6:45pm until classes end.

The Other Side of the Sea

I do not know what it looked like on the boat that night as recorded in the Gospel of Mark after Jesus said to His disciples on the Sea of Galilee, "Let us go over to the other side." It must have been much worse than this...



No fancy all-weather gear, no helmets, no safety harnesses, no Global Positioning Systems, no mast-mounted video cameras recording their courage for posterity and their hordes of adulating fans around the world. Just a furious squall, the disciples absolutely scared half out of their wits, and Jesus in the stern, asleep on a cushion. When the crew awoke Him saying, "Don't you care if we drown?" as in, "Why did you tell us to cross the sea today? You know all things. Surely you could have chosen a better course for us to sail...!" He rebuked them for their lack of faith, and then calmed the raging seas and howling wind with three little words, "Quiet! Be still!"

Teresa and I once crossed some thiry miles or so of the open Pacific Ocean in a small ferry boat with waves running upwards of twelve feet on average, but the worse weather systems I have ever encountered have been the howling storms of my own soul, those moments when I wondered where God was in the midest of my circumstances, and why He had allowed them to develop. Again and again, though, I have heard the Master say, "Peace! Be still!" He will do the same for you if you will bring your anxious heart to Him. He is bigger than any tempest you may face and He has promised He will never leave you or forsake you, come what may...!

"35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” " (Mark 4:35-41, NIV)

Parenting in the Midst of Tragedy

John Piper is not only a famous author and pastor in Minneapolis, but also a parent. His blog post entitled, Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed, bears powerful witness, not only to some deep theological truths, but also to the sovereign way in which God set up his family's evening devotions, moments after devasting calamity struck their city.

It is never easy to answer hard questions, especially when they come in the midst of great emotion that touches even the very young. God is faithful, though, to use His Word and His Spirit to help us when we need it the most!

The Porn Myth (Challies / Wolf)

Tim Challies is a Christian web designer from Canada of the Reformed persuasion whose blog, www.challies.com, is widely read. Today, he posted some thoughts on a recent New York Magazine article by feminist Naomi Wolf entitled, "The Porn Myth."

Midway through his musings, Tim writes,

Feminists taught that women needed to go from being the hunted to being the hunters, to transition to the role of the aggressor in relationships. They were to throw off inhibition and try to beat men at their own game.

But Wolf, and many other feminists, have had to rethink their position a little bit. Once advocates of pornography, they have had to take an honest look at how pornography has affected our culture. "The Porn Myth" does just this. If you read this site often you know how much I delight in finding articles in secular publications that just say what the Bible has been saying all along. In many ways, this is just such an article.

Wolf begins by saying that some feminists used to be concerned that the widespread acceptance of pornography would turn men into beasts, causing them to rape and pillage women. Years later she says, "the effect is not making men into raving beasts. On the contrary: The onslaught of porn is responsible for deadening male libido in relation to real women, and leading men to see fewer and fewer women as "porn-worthy." Far from having to fend off porn-crazed young men, young women are worrying that as mere flesh and blood, they can scarcely get, let alone hold, their attention." So porn is not causing men to see women as objects of unbridled lust (though in some cases I know this has happened). Rather, porn is causing men to become bored with sex and bored with real women. "For most of human history, erotic images have been reflections of, or celebrations of, or substitutes for, real naked women. For the first time in human history, the images' power and allure have supplanted that of real naked women. Today, real naked women are just bad porn." That last sentence is shocking for its forthrightness and for its implications. Men who immerse themselves in pornography know that real women compare unfavorably with the stars of their pornographic movies. Those women have perfect bodies, no inhibitions and are willing to express pleasure in any act, no matter how vulgar or demeaning. They exist only to please their men.

A bit later, he pens,

When I speak with young men these days I find that, almost invariably, they are recovering porn addicts. Since I wasn't born yesterday I take this to mean "I'm addicted to pornography but can't quite admit it." I try to warn them that there are consequences to this sin. Of course I tell them that God is dishonored by this sin, but they are Christian guys and they already know this. So I tell them also that this sin is going to have consequences in their lives that go far beyond what they do when nobody else is looking. For example, addiction to pornography will not disappear when they fall in love and commit to marriage. Rather, pornography will be a destructive force they bring into that marriage. They may find that they are enraptured with a wife for a few months, but the addiction, if not conquered, will come back. It will haunt the marriage until it is properly dealt with. And when pornography returns, that wife suddenly won't look so wonderful. She will have spots and blemishes and stretch marks. There will be things she will not want to do in bed. She will have nights when she does not want to have sex. Suddenly the women in pornography will look pretty good in comparison as they are always eager, always beautiful, always available.

But these women are but a sinful fantasy. They beckon like the captivity in Egypt. Pornography looks at the heavenly manna God has provided and looks instead to the slavery of sin. And the sin somehow compares favorably. Real naked women become just bad porn.

Sin is subtle; it is powerful; it is captivating. Even people who care little for the Bible are having to admit that it was right all along. And we know from the Bible that only God offers true freedom.

Well said, Tim...!

To read the rest of his post, click here.

To sample another of his posts on a very different topic (evolution), click here.