The Mystery and Beauty of Women: A Very Brief Meditation

Women (especially sisters in Christ) are truly God’s gift to men in so many ways (ways in which I can’t even begin to explain or comprehend). There is a glory and beauty in women that distinctively reflects so much of who God is and the depths of His character and love, which cannot be adequately expressed or explained. Women are a mystery as well as a blessing. I wish so much that more men recognized this… we have so much to learn from each other. By nature of being created as men and women, we reflect God’s glory differently. What I mean is that we are each made in the image of God, but through the filter of male and female, it is expressed quite differently (oh the vastness of that image that makes it such!).

To provide an analogy: If you think in terms of angled mirrors… one mirror may be at angle “A” and another may be at angle “B.” They are both mirrors, there is no qualitative difference whatsoever. Yet, the angle will determine what is reflected and how it is reflected. Or better yet think of prisms. Pure white light enters and is then refracted and reflected by the prism. The very angle that the light is bent determines the color (or colors) that are displayed. Thus, by design, we each bear the Imago Dei, yet reflect quite different aspects of that glorious and mysterious image.

Also by design, we naturally seek those in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells / is evident. The Spirit bears witness and deep calls unto deep. Add to this the fact that women reflect the image so very differently than men and it should be obvious why a Godly woman so inspires and motivates a man who is already pursuing the Lord, to pursue Him even more. Though he truly seeks her, he is also striving after that part of the image she reflects so very differently than he does. The closer she is to the Lord, the more he will be drawn to her and the more he is drawn to her, the more he will pursue the Lord. With this understanding, is it any wonder that we men are so drawn to our sisters, and ultimately our wife?! It is very good!

This also speaks to the incredible influence a woman has on a man. It is an influence that must be subjected to Christ as it can be a source of blessing or cursing… I wish more women realized this. Women, married or not, it would be very wise of you to meditate on and seek the wisdom of an elder lady in Christ on this one. Also, begin praying for the Lord to help you never to sway your husband away from the Lord or His will… it will be easier than you think.

Holy for God or Wholly for Self: Sex, Pornography, and Addiction

First, yes, the other post is still coming, I just want to try to do it well.

Well, I don’t usually do this. I make a concerted effort not to write posts that are in the “high academia” realm. I prefer things that are more personal and practical in nature. However, I feel this subject is extremely important, even here, and since I wrote a paper on it and don’t feel like rewording everything, I have chosen to simply post the paper as is. Also, it should go without saying… don’t plagiarize or attempt to turn this in for a class.

May the Lord bless and heal us from all sin!

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Title Page

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INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
OVERVIEW OF PORNOGRAPHIC ADDICTION .......................... 2
---Addiction Defined ............................................................................ 2
---Pornography Defined ...................................................................... 4
PORNOGRAPHY’S DEVASTATION ................................................ 6
---Setting the Trap .............................................................................. 6
---Technological Entrapment ............................................................. 7
---Killing Relationships ........................................................................ 8
DECIMATING PORN ADDICTION ................................................ 10
---Genuine Repentance ..................................................................... 10
---Reprogramming the Mind............................................................. 12
---Securing the Perimeters ............................................................... 13
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 15
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................. 17

Body

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HOLY FOR GOD OR WHOLLY FOR SELF

INTRODUCTION

Western society is the product of many influences and has grown and advanced in many areas in the course of history. In Western society, a person can study anything from the intricate details of cell structure and genetic encoding to the vast complexities of moons, stars, and planets amazingly distant from our own. However, in the midst of all of the amazing and wonderful discoveries there is a destructive cancer spreading throughout the entire society. Pornographic addiction, most specifically internet pornography, has touched lives from every demographic, from the poorest person in the public library to the business executive in his office.
Unfortunately in this case, despite the fact that Christians are called to holiness and purity, many Christians are falling into pornographic addiction right alongside the secular world. They have entered into a world in which they know they do not belong. They feel trapped in the addiction and are tormented by the shame and guilt of living secret lives, in continual, known rebellion against Christ. For those that have not fallen into this world personally, most have been affected either indirectly through family or friends, or have known someone who has been affected.
The purpose of this paper is, from a Christian perspective, to address pornographic addiction, it’s affects and consequences, and how a person can be break free from this enslaving sin. As evidenced by the preceding statement, the sinfulness of this addiction is a presupposition and will not be directly addressed. The drive behind this paper is that this writer has witnessed the full spectrum of this addiction in his father. Further, this writer has heard and read of many instances of professionals and ministers falling into this world at home and in the office. Finally, this writer has observed and counseled with many individual studying for the ministry in his undergrad and here at Southern who feel trapped in this world. Thus, it is of extreme personal interest to address this topic with a pastoral heart and a view to help people change.

OVERVIEW OF PORNOGRAPHIC ADDICTION

This section will provide the reader with an overview of pornographic addiction. This will be accomplished by providing a discussion of addiction followed by a discussion of what pornography is, as there seems to be some confusion on these terms. The final part of this section will be a discussion of how people entrap themselves in pornographic addiction.

Addiction Defined

Throughout the Western culture, specifically, the American culture, the terms addiction and disease have become virtually synonymous. The problem with this is that a disease is by definition rooted in a physical cause and it treatable by physical means. Addictions simply are not caused by physical factors. They may be influenced by physical things, but addictions are not determinative. The change from personal accountability into labeling addictions as diseases is simply a matter of culture-wide blame-shifting. Just as Adam blamed eve in the garden, we, as people, are still trying to avoid taking responsibility. This misunderstanding is essentially the result of a lack of understanding about personal responsibility and an effort to describe the way an addict feels controlled and unable to change. However, despite feeling enslaved and helpless, the truth is that addictions are willful enslavement.1
Now that a general discussion has been given to addiction, a more concrete definition is in order. For the purpose of this paper, sexual addiction will be defined as an “obsessive-compulsive relationship with a person, object or experience for the purpose of sexual gratification.”2 The first point to note is the use of “obsessive-compulsive.” As already noted, this is not meant to take away personal responsibility. As will be discussed later, it is largely a matter of wrongly programming the mind into scripts that can be very difficult to break. Second, it is important to note that the relationship can be with a person, object or an experience. Thus, sexual addiction can range from a real relationship, to the imaginings of the heart without any particular stimulus.
In truth, addiction is a matter of the human heart, desiring selfish things at the root level. It is a matter of idolatry whereby the human heart turns away from the limits Christ has set in this life and toward the fulfillment of its own selfish desires for such things as comfort, power, pleasure, and so on. The bottom line is that the heart wants control where Christ has demanded it.3 This is idolatry, where a person sets something above or in opposition to their relationship to Christ. Pornographic addiction, at the deepest level is not an addiction to the material itself, but and addiction to self-centeredness. This is the classic definition of idolatry, whereby the person becomes the object of their own worship.4

Pornography Defined

Despite the prevalence of pornography, and the ever-increasing number of books, articles, and yes, term papers, devoted to helping people break free from pornography, very little attention, if any, is given to actually defining pornography. Thus, in this writer’s opinion, there is much confusion as to exactly what it is. In Christian settings, few doubt that “X Rated” movies or magazines are rightly classified as pornography. Yet, in this writer’s own experience, it seems little attention is given to any other form. Thus, the need to define the term. The American Heritage Dictionary defines pornography as “sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.” This is a decent definition, though clearly from a secular viewpoint. The reason for including it in this paper is that it includes the visual element, the written element, and the fact that it causes sexual arousal. However, this definition is still severely lacking, especially from a Christian standpoint. The primary problem with this definition is the last section of the definition. It classifies pornography according to intent. While this writer agrees that intent is important, by comparing this definition to others in the secular arena, it is clear that dictionaries are trying not to include so called “Sensual Art” where all things classified as “art” are excluded from the label of pornography. Advocates of this position often take pictures of nude women or children or produce sculptures or some other depiction that, though not showing intercourse, are still erotic.
Despite being problematic, this definition is helpful in that it leaves the other avenues wide open. There are a few major types of pornography that exist in churches that seem to be viewed as benign, despite their destructive qualities. One huge problem in many churches are “R” rated movies where nudity abounds and sex is depicted so graphically that it may as well be “X” rated. This is not to set up “R” rated movies as all bad or as some Litmus test for spirituality or maturity. However, the pornographic quality of many of the movies cannot be overlooked. A second major problem in churches is so called romance novels. These novels are directed at women and tell stories of some great looking man who is perfectly what the women is looking for and usually saves her from some physical or emotional distress and then the two have the greatest sex, in graphic detail. Both forms are equally destructive and, unfortunately, usually overlooked as such.
This writer’s working definition of pornography is anything of a sexual nature, short of sexual intercourse, that stirs up sexual desire toward anything other than a person’s own spouse. This definition is admittedly broad. However, this writer feels it is too often defined simply in terms of “X” rated movies or magazines. Further, what may be pornographic to one person, is not necessarily pornographic to another. For example, a doctor may look at slides of women’s breasts for valid medical reasons, or perform certain procedures where the woman is exposed. If the doctor is able to keep his mind pure and focused on medicine, the it is not pornographic. However, if it begins stirring up desires in the doctor, it has just become pornography. As another example, clothing ads in the Sunday paper may not cause some men to stumble. For them, it is not pornography. However, for some men, this causes such desire that they use these as an excuse for masturbation. In this case, it has clearly become pornographic. Hopefully, the point is clear by now that this writer is not trying to excuse some things an not others, but to help the reader understand that things other’s may not view as explicit, may in fact be fore some. In the end, perhaps the best and simplest definition is that pornography is a substitute for intimacy.5

PORNOGRAPHY’S DEVASTATION

Hopefully by now, the reader has a clearer picture of what pornography is, both in the literal sense and in the sense of what it is to the human heart. With that, this paper will briefly discuss how people, specifically Christians, entrap themselves in sexual sin and the devastating effects is has.

Setting the Trap

How does a person become addicted to pornography? The obvious answer is that it is different for every person, but there is a general pattern that most people follow. The most important consideration is that pornographic addiction is a slow drifting away from the Lord, toward selfish gratification.6 The bottom line is that sexual lust pornographic addiction do not exist in a vacuum and do not simply show up with no preceding history. Sin always has a history.7 Usually, this type of sin begins with the person becoming lazy with their spiritual disciplines. They begin praying and reading less and less, thus not putting on the full armor of God (Eph 6). Then, at some point, they happen across some stimulus that sparks the crouching sin in their heart. They will often battle this very hard at first. In fact, the first time or two is usually quite “a terrible, anxiety-provoking experience.”8 Thorough continued drifting, a lack of genuine repentance, and a growing self-idolatry, the person continues going further and further in this sin. Eventually the person is so consumed with their sin and so comfortable in it, that Jeremiah 8:6 describes it as a horse running into battle with no variance in determination and later in 8:12, no shame. In the end, the person ends up stuck in a vicious cycle, reciprocating back upon itself.9

Technological Entrapment

Every generation has had its own dangers in the realm of sexual sin. In the Proverbs, the wiser elder warns the younger man to be aware of the dangers of following a prostitute (Proverbs 7). In more recent history brothels and strip bars have been the large threat. In recent history, videos and magazines have been a huge and disastrous means of sexual perversion. However, in very recent history, the internet has become the largest and most devastating means of sexual sin and perversion. An individual used to be required to go to a particular store or some other public area to purchase he material that would be used for sexual gratification. This involved not only the bold and willful commitment to sin, but also the possibility of being seen by others. As an example, a church near a pornographic store was interviewed by the local news in Greenville, SC because they were taking pictures of cars at these stores and sending them to the “woman of the house” of the registered car. Thus, going to a public place required a great deal of boldness and risk. Even with the risk, many, many men fell into this sin, spending billions of dollars on pornography. Internet pornography is exponentially more dangerous because it seems to remove these dangers. There is the belief in anonymity online and even software that people can purchase to “protect their identity” that is actually designed, and marketed, to prevent someone else, say, the wife, from knowing where the husband has been online. Further, looking up pornography online takes little boldness as the addict believes himself to be and “anonymous observer.”
In addition to the above, an even greater danger is that many jobs, perhaps even most, now require at least some “online” time for a person to be able to perform his or her duties. Further, most homes now have internet access and many have high-speed access. This means that for someone who is weak, struggling, or an addict, is in continual temptation and that literally anything they want is very easily attained. To make this situation even worse, a person does not need to seek pornography, it is sent to the person’s email, website, or through some other means, on a regular basis. A generation ago, America was divided over the display of a fictitious genie’s stomach in evening programming, claiming it was an innocent indulgence and quite harmless. Today, America is passively sitting by as what can be described as pure filth is pipelined into homes at amazing speed.10

Killing Relationships

Pornography is a killer of the wort kind. As stated earlier, no real treatment will be given to the fact that pornographic addiction is wrong, that is assumed and acknowledged as fact. However, it would be a major fault not to point out the fact that idolatry and sin always kill a person’s relationship with the Lord. When one turns from God to something else, it not only displeases God, but it causes the person not to listen for the Lord. Simply put, a person cannot be in right standing with the Lord and be addicted to pornography.11
Beyond killing the relationship with the Lord, 1 Corinthians 6:18 warns the reader to flee from sexual immorality because it is a sin against the self. Pornographic addiction is a cancer within the individual. It causes a lifestyle of deceit and deception and reshapes the way a person thinks. The addict no longer sees a woman as simply that. The addict begins to fantasize and view others as objects rather than people. The truly sad thing is that the addict rarely realizes that this reprogramming has taken place until after it has taken root.
If the damage and death caused by the aforementioned was not enough, the destruction also touches every other aspect of the addicts life. Specific to internet pornography, though certainly applicable to all forms, is the issue of time. As with any addiction, the addict continually seeks more. The small amount of stimulation that originally satisfied the self-worship is no longer enough, the addict must have more and more and the amount being received no longer produces the desired effect. Part of the reason for the increasing amounts is simply the human tendency to never be satisfied. Newness wears off, the old becomes mundane, and it is no longer enough. The other aspect is that the addict is seeking a substitute that is not really there. They seek intimacy and excitement and realize that the pornography is an empty promise, vanity. Instead of turning from it, the addict believes the lies that just a little more will satisfy and fulfill the original promise. This is also the reason for the progression from so called “soft porn” to “hard porn” and beyond, but that is a different topic. Thus, with the addict continually seeking more, more time is needed to acquire the materials. Thus, the addict spends more and more time away from his family, loses sleep, takes breaks from work, and eventually his entire life is spent around seeking after this lust. Then compound this with the irritability that comes with a person that is steeped in shame and guilt and the mental and emotional change these things bring about. The result is that the person is distant, fails to complete tasks, and becomes very difficult to be around. This causes others to put more pressure on the addict and to pull away emotionally, which causes the addict to seek these substitutes even more in the absence of the actual intimacy and support.12 Again, it is a vicious cycle that tears lives apart.

DECIMATING PORN ADDICTION

Thus far, a fairly bleak picture has been painted of and for the pornographic addict. Though this writer does not want to minimize what has already been discussed in any way, there is hope. Despite the devastation, the broken relationships, and ultimately the idolatry, there is hope for the Christian who desires to change. Change in this area is not an easy task. Many books and articles have been written to address this issue. This section will discuss how to decimate pornographic addiction from the life of a believer through a three-stage attack plan. The most important thing for the reader to understand is that war must be declared on this sin, with the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit, with no mercy for the selfish idol.

Genuine Repentance

The first place a Christian must begin is genuine repentance. Genuine repentance is turning from sin, toward God realizing how much that sin displeases God and committing the will to seek God rather than that sin. It is not only action, but a new way of thinking.13 Ultimately, it is trusting in Christ’s righteousness to cover and pay for the sin. Perhaps the most solid definition this writer has come across is that repentance is “a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.”14
Before continuing the discussion, it is important to point out that repentance is diametrically opposed to penance. Repentance is accepting God’s grace and forgiveness through the righteous sacrifice of Christ and reacting to that through obedience, in the power of the Spirit of Christ. On the other hand penance is a religious construct, deeply embedded in the human heart whereby people attempt to pay for their own sins through various means such as good works, suffering, deprivation, or any number of other things.15 Thus, penance is attempting to pay for sin based on one’s own ability with a desire to no longer do what is wrong, based on one’s own strength to change. Clearly repentance is a soothing aroma to the Lord and penance is quite odious. Further, this distinction is of absolute importance in breaking free from pornographic addiction as repentance will lead the person to genuine change in Christ and penance will continue to destroy the person in the cycle mentioned earlier. To use a common phrase in Biblical counseling, genuine repentance is putting off one thing, sin, in order to put on another thing, Christ’s righteousness. The acceptance of God’s grace through Christ is foundational to healing and renewal.

Reprogramming the Mind

Continuing the idea of putting on, the next stage in the attack plan is for the Christian, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to reprogram the mind. This is what Paul was discussing in Romans 12 where he commands the believers to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. The mind in scripture is a topic worthy of a dissertation or a book, thus a full treatment cannot be given in this paper. However, a few key thoughts will be discussed.
First, in order to reprogram the mind, the right code is needed. In life, the code, is the applied word of God. It is when the Christian begins to know Christ better and more fully, meditating and rejoicing in Christ continually that the mind can be renewed. In a sense, this regaining the disciplines that were lost before the addiction took root. Yet, more importantly, it is to expand and deepen those disciplines. Thus, specific strategies, which will be covered in the next section, pale in comparison to the mind that truly grasps who Christ is and who that person is in Christ. Put another way, Piper says that he knows with all of his heart that “the tiny spaceships of... moral strategies will be useless in nudging the planet of sexuality into orbit, unless the sun of... [the individual’s] solar system is the supremacy of Christ.”16 In this writer’s opinion, the point Piper is making cannot be overstated. A person must mediate upon the truth and have a picture of Christ’s holiness. It is only when the picture of what ought to be permeates the redeemed mind and heart that genuine change can occur.
Another important aspect of reprogramming the mind is found in 2 Corinthians 10:5. In this passage Paul is exhorting the believers in spiritual warfare, specifically relating to the mind in this verse. Believers are told to take every thought captive to obedience to Christ. It is the Christian’s responsibility to be in control of the mind. Over time, habits are developed and the human mind, specifically the executive function, operates in sort of an auto-pilot fashion whereby preprogrammed scripts are followed unless there is a valid reason or concerted effort not to follow the script.17 Thus, the Christian that has allowed his mind to be corrupted by evil scripts, must fight against their own mind. Since these scripts are followed in an automated fashion, it can seem as if the person is not in control of their own actions. It is therefore necessary to be very conscious of every decision and action. The Christian must ask himself why am I doing this at this moment. If this is not an acceptable script, the Christian must fight against the urge to complete the action. If it is sinful, the Christian must no only fight against the urge, but bring specific scripture or scriptural principles to his mind in the moment. This will, over time, help the Christian to reprogram his mind and have it focused on Christ. Then, also over time, the automated scripts will be Christ-honoring and beneficial instead of destructive. These two things are the heart of winning the battle of the heart. Once again, the reader can see the principle of putting off and putting on.

Securing the Perimeters

The third stage is to secure the perimeters. Securing the perimeters means to fortify the defenses and to be on guard against all attacks, frontal and sneak attacks, and all potential points of attack. In the spiritual life, there is no such thing as a safe-zone or a wall that is so fortified that it cannot be breached. One of the most basic methods of strategy, is to catch the enemy off-guard. Satan loves finding ways to attack Christians and then watch them destroy themselves. Christians must be on guard, this principle is repeated throughout scripture over and over. This section will discuss three basic methods of being on guard. All three of these reinforce and serve to reprogram the mind as discussed in the previous section. Also, these three methods are universal to all types of addiction even though they are applied to pornography in this paper.
The first, and most important, is to be bathed in the spiritual disciplines. The most important three, in this writer’s opinion, are reading, prayer, and worship. It is vital to know what the Bible says and to be continually reminded of who Christ is, what Christ expects from Christians, and how to live a proper Christian life. The second discipline, prayer is absolutely vital as well. Christians must be in continual contact with God, talking, asking for him, and just spending time consciously in the presence of Christ. The third discipline is, in this writer’s opinion, often the most neglected of the three. Genuine worship of Christ is the glue that holds everything else together. It serves to enliven both reading and prayer and serves to continually direct the heart toward Christ.
The second method is that of barriers. At least for a time, certain barriers may be needed to help prevent the Christian from falling back into addiction. Some barriers might be wise even if a person is not yet an addict. For pornography addicts or those prone to stumbling into sexual sin, the focus of paper, this may mean no internet access without someone present. This can be affected through log-on passwords and a variety of other means, even as far as not having internet access. For some, a program like Covenant Eyes, may be the best thing where the program sends the browsing history to a list of people who know the person and will check it. Another barrier might be allowing personal space to be inspected for a time. There are far too many barriers to cover here but a few have been mentioned in order to give th reader some ideas. The thing to remember with barriers is that they are not foolproof and will never work on their own. The help to prevent bad action, but do not address heart issues.
The third method, accountability, is closely related to barriers. Accountability is bringing another Christian, of the same sex, into the life of the struggling believer. There are many ways to do accountability, but the point is that the struggling believer and the accountability partner meet regularly and discuss the issue. Help and counsel is given as one believer tries to exhort and encourage another in living the Christian life. Accountability should only be undertaken with a believer who is mature enough to keep confidentiality and loves enough to confront. As with barriers, accountability is only maintenance and cannot directly address the heart issues.

CONCLUSION

Much more could be added and should be, for a truly full discussion. However, this writer hopes that after reading this paper, the reader has come to better understand the subject of pornographic addiction. With this knowledge, it is hoped that the reader will be able to find his or her way back to Christ, if the reader is struggling with this issue. If the reader is not, it is hoped that the reader will be better able to help those that are.
As a final thought, remember that genuine change is not merely a matter of the human will, is not merely a matter of following spiritual disciplines, and is not automatic. Genuine change starts with God prompting a person and occurs when that person immerses themself in the worship of God, willing themself and committing themself to take what they have learned and consciously apply it to their life over and over, being ever watchful. In the end, it is only the grace of God that keeps any Christian faithful. That realization should humble all Christians, especially those that do not struggle in this area.

1Edward T. Welch, “Addictions,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 19, no. 3 (Spring 2001): 19.
2
Russell Willingham, Breaking Free (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1999), 27.
3Welch, “Motives,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 22, no. 1 (Fall 2003): 49.


4Jeffrey S. Black, “Pornography, Masturbation and Other Private Misuses,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 13, no. 3 (Spring 1995): 8.

5Ibid.
6Ibid, 7.
7David Powlison, “Sex, Truth, and Scripture,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 13, no. 3 (Spring 1995): 2.


8Black, 9.
9Mark R. Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 35.
10Welch, “Motives,” 50.
11Mark E Shaw, The Heart of Addiction (Birmingham, AL: Milestone Books, 2006), 41.


12Melissa Partain, “Sex and Cyberspace,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 22, no. 1 (Fall 2003): 71.
13Jay E. Adams, A Theology of Christian Counseling (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 215.
14Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 712.
15Edward T. Welch, “Is Biblical-Nouthetic Counseling Legalistic,” The Journal of Pastoral Practice 11, no. 1 (1992): 11.

16John Piper and Justin Taylor, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 38.
17Eric Johnson, “Personality Architecture” (class lecture delivered for Christian Theories of the Person on 11 October 2007), Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY.

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Bibliography

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Books

Adams, Jay E. A Theology of Christian Counseling. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Laaser, Mark R. Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.

Piper, John and Justin Taylor. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005.

Shaw, Mark E. The Heart of Addiction. Birmingham, AL: Milestone Books, 2006.

Willingham, Russell. Breaking Free. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1999.


Articles


Black, Jeffrey S. “Pornography, Masturbation and Other Private Misuses.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 13, no. 3. (Spring 1995): 7-10.

Partain, Melissa. “Sex and Cyberspace.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 22, no. 1. (Fall 2003): 70-80.

Powlison, David. “Sex, Truth, and Scripture.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 13, no. 3. (Spring 1995): 2-3.

Welch, Edward T. “Addictions.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 19, no. 3. (Spring 2001): 19-30.

________. “Is Biblical-Nouthetic Counseling Legalistic.” The Journal of Pastoral Practice 11, no. 1. (1992): 4-21.

________. “Motives.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 22, no. 1. (Fall 2003): 48-56.
Unpublished Materials

Johnson, Eric. “Personality Architecture” (class lecture delivered for Christian Theories of the Person on 11 October 2007). Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY.

?tnetnI lairohtuA ro esnopseR redaeR

This is yet another short one. I really promise that more is coming. In fact, I am almost finished with the big one I’ve been talking about. I hope to finish within the next day or two, depending on the time I have to spend on it. Then, there is another post I feel needs to precede that one. Thus, the big one ~should~ be posted the first week of November (~ two weeks from now).

There are many debates where the Scriptures are concerned. Some want to argue about inspiration or veracity and so on. My purpose in this post is not to argue about these, though I certainly could, and may, at some later date. Today, I just want to provide an illustration of why authorial intent is so critical to proper scholarship. I ran across this sign (below) at an apartment complex this past summer (yes, I have been so busy this is actually back-logged).




















I took one of my helpers home and passed by this sign... immediately my mind started thinking about the importance of authorial intent and I just had to stop and take a picture of the sign (yes folks, I’m a dork). I thought of many different ways the sign could be interpreted and were it not for authorial intent, I would be paralyzed in knowing what to do with that spot. Below I have listed seven different interpretations of the same three-word sign, in order to illustrate the point.

1-This sign simply states “Future Resident Parking.” With the notable absence of punctuation in signs (such as my favorite one… “Slow Children Playing” :), there is no way to know exactly what this sign means unless you assume some sort of authorial intent.

2-In this case, the most natural reading would be that the parking is only for those who are not currently residents, but will be (in the sense of guaranteed to be). Thus, parking there could be considered a contract of sorts and to park there and not rent would be a breaking of the contract, which would make you liable.

3-Another way to read the sign is that there may be some problem with the spaces that has made them unfit for use (perhaps unburied mines that may explode if they are parked on). Thus, it would mean that the parking is for residents, but only in the future, not now.

4-Another way of reading it is that future residents must park there and to park anywhere else would cause them not to consider you as a resident.

5-It could also mean that this is the designated place for couples to make out or that they must make out in that spot and so on, like the variations already listed (see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parking definition number 6 :)

5-It may even mean that they are to orbit there for an indeterminate amount of time (again with all of the variations already discussed).

6-If you really want to go reader response, it could say anything from the equivalent of “Free ice-cream” to “bug off.” But it that is your position, who knows what I am saying to you right now.


Ok, trust me I could go on and on with this one, but I think you get the point… let’s move on. In order to discern what this sign means, you must take into account the placement of the sign (location), the way it is presented (context), who “wrote” it (authorship – see note at bottom of page*), and why (purpose). We do this intuitively in everyday life. This sign was placed in front of the renting office at an apartment complex by the management. It is there as a courtesy to those who are thinking of renting at this particular complex. It is intended to make a good impression and show that they care. Thus, is means that anyone considering renting at this complex may park there and current residents should not. Any other way of reading this sign simply makes no sense. In this case, you could go to the manager and ask them what they mean by it and, no doubt, they would say the same.

It is no different when reading scripture. We cannot go back to the author and ask what he meant when we are confused about a particular passage. However, we can look at the immediate and overall context (as well as other passages by the same author) in order to discern his intention and thus, the meaning. Simply put… reader response is nonsensical and foolish.


*note: this could easily carry us into a discussion of authorship (things like as the use of an amanuensis), since the manager didn’t actually write the sign, but anyway ;-)

Multifacetudenessity

End note (at the beginning) this is yet another really long one with several points and some setup, but you can make it!)

Well, yet another random one. Throughout the years it has been interesting to see the different reactions I get from people and to take note of the angle from which they are viewing me. One thing that I find to be a constant frustration and source of comedy is how we are so multifaceted; that people never completely know each other. We are so insanely complex and so many things affect our perception of another person. The angle from which we view a person is perhaps the greatest source for opinion, yet it is only one of who knows how many angles (and from the perception of an imperfect observer). So, we already have two problems affecting perception. We, as multifaceted beings, must be viewed from different angles (as many as possible, if we want a clearer picture of the person). We must also be viewed with discerning eyes and our perception must be checked time and time again, by the best we are able to perceive of the reality of who they are. This is why it is so foolish to marry someone after only a short period of time and why we must be careful not to write people off after a bad impression.

I can be a very “modalistic” person. By this I mean that I sometimes act very different in one context than I do in a different context. When I am at work, I don’t really goof off at all. In my mind, I am there to do a job, to do it to the best of my abilities, and to do it as efficiently as possible. Thus, when I am at work, I am a very serious and focused person (as a rule). When I am in class, I am much the same way. I am there to learn and to pay attention, so (as a rule) I sit in the front and don’t talk to people. When I am at karate or working out, the same thing applies, I am quite focused on that (though at karate a decent amount of goofing off applies when I am not the one teaching). When I preach, I am very intense: I’m there to deliver the Word of God, which may involve humor, but my primary purpose is to be faithful in delivering the message, which is a very serious matter. When I am hyper and goofing off around friends, I am just a big goofball. Now, none of this is to mean that I can’t and / or don’t switch “modes” or that I don’t sometimes switch easily (though some are easier than others). In other words, when I preach or teach, that does not mean that I never preach light-hearted messaged or that my delivery is devoid of emotion. This does not mean that when I’m hyper and goofing off, that I can’t switch into a very serious and intense conversation (in fact, I love doing so).

My point with the above, and with the note in general, is that I know the different facets of who I am (at least somewhat) and it is funny, frustrating, and disillusioning sometimes when I realize that person “x” doesn’t realize that facet “g” exists. For example, I remember when I led the college / career ministry at my old church. This was a new ministry for our church and for the first week or two it was all about adjusting and getting things in place. Now, they had heard me preach and seen my in the various roles in which I served, but none of us really knew each other. I led the lessons for a few weeks before things were really in place enough to start thinking socially. Then, after a week or two I started trying to get social activities together to draw us together as a group. At this point, they had only known “Aaron the teacher.” One of the first times that we came together socially (see *1 – to include here would be an intrusion into this thought) I was really hyper (some of you know what this is like and some don’t ;), so they got to see a little of “the other side” of Aaron. Later in conversation, Meg (who is now with the Lord) was talking to me and said something to the effect that she was not very excited about having me for a leader at first because I was so intense and serious. She couldn’t imagine having fun, much less community, with a leader like that. Later in our friendship, I am sure there were times where she wished I’d be a little less silly ;) I also remember another person and situation with my friend from Charleston, Mike. He and I “came up together” in the Martial Arts. He always saw the goofy, hyper Aaron. For at least a few years this was really the only impression he had of me. Then, I remember he came in to visit me at work one day and I was busy doing whatever and didn’t really spend much time talking or goofing off. Later, he commented on the difference and said something to the effect that he couldn’t believe how serious I was.

We go through life with some sort of picture of who we are (sometimes accurate, sometimes not) and by nature of having no other knowledge, assume (at least in general) that others have the same picture. Thus when troubles come or someone says something that contradicts our picture, it can be very hurtful and disillusioning. For example, one thing that I am VERY passionate about is being totally upfront and honest in all situations with everyone (see my Ben Franklin quote, it resonates with me). Now, I am not delusional in thinking that I have achieved this, but it is a very large part of who I am and I strive to be as such. When someone says something that contradicts this, it really bothers me. For example, a friend a while back said that I was not upfront and then later qualified that I was not as upfront as I thought I was. If she is right, then I obviously have a flawed picture. As we discussed it, the things to which she was referring were thing which would be very unwise to share for one reason or another. Thus, no, I do not share anything and everything: if wisdom demands that I keep my mouth shut, then I will. In all other areas I strive to be totally open. This is a very real example of where this person saw one facet of who I am (ie: the situations where wisdom is required form the bulk of her perception of this aspect of me), and misunderstood the whole picture.

Ok, so what is my point in all of this? Well, I really have two. The first is to encourage us all to be careful in “cementing” our perceptions of others. I have known many married couples who admit that when they first met each other, at least one of them could not stand the other one because of one thing or the other. In fact, one of them it was because he was SO intense in his teaching, she didn’t think she could ever approach him – just thought I’d throw that one in there :) I have also lost count of how many friendships may have been prevented and how many have been hurt because of this very thing. We must be careful not to judge prematurely and we must treat each other with lots of grace. It is the height of arrogance to think that we have perfect knowledge of the other person, only God has this type of knowledge (which is why we must also pray) (see *2).

This naturally leads me to my second point. If we, as finite beings, are so complex and multifaceted, how much more is God! If we cannot understand ourselves, and definitely can’t understand each other, what hope do we have of understanding God?! The bottom line is that apart from Him revealing Himself, we can’t. Thankfully, God is not an imperfect being. Instead, He is perfection. He is the very definition of what it means to be perfect, He is the measuring rod. Thus, if He says it, we can believe it, based on who He is and the simple fact that He said it. Thus, we can know God, but not perfectly because that would require that we be God. If that were possible, He would not be God. Anyway, enough of that, my point here is that God has revealed Himself in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Holy Bible. Thus, though God is incomprehensible, we can know about Him through His word. Therein, He has given the testimony of how we can know Him personally, through His Son Jesus Christ! (I am not connecting all the dots here, but I trust that you are following me, if not, please ask). Ok, so, if a person knows God personally through Christ His Son, what then? Well, we still do not have perfect knowledge of God. Christ through the Holy Spirit reveals God’s Word to us and we can grow deeper and deeper in our knowledge of who He is. We can study the scriptures our entire lives and still not scratch the surface of what God has revealed about Himself. This should humble us and drive us to seek to know Him more. To go a step beyond this, though God has revealed certain facets of who He is through the Scriptures, He is so much more than that (comparably) minute revelation. Thus, we must be very careful that we NEVER assume we are beginning to grasp Him. He has given us what we need for now and we are to study that faithfully. He has told us that He is love, that He is just, that he is holy, and so on and so on. We can trust these things to be completely true (as discussed above) and though we cannot see the other facets of who He is we need not worry that those unknown facets will contradict any that He has already revealed. Remember, God is not a man that He should lie. He does not tell us one thing to hide another, nor does He have an incorrect perception of Himself. What He has revealed is entirely true and good, but let us never fall to thinking that what is revealed is all of who He is. Some things are just too much for us to comprehend. For example, God has revealed that He is holy. Stop and think about that. What does it mean to be perfectly holy? If the thought does not send you hours of contemplation, you are not thinking about it deep enough. Ultimately we cannot even comprehend this one attribute. This is but one of the many things that He has revealed about Himself. Were we to ponder all of them it would take us the rest of our lives and we would still fall way short. How much more the things that are incommunicable and as yet unknown?

Now, my point to the previous section is that we can know certain things. God has said that Jesus Christ is His Son, that is not up for debate. Anyone who says otherwise rejects God and is a liar (see *3). This is a clear example of things which need to “other” perspective. Though we may not be able to comprehend the complexities of how this works or the interrelationship of the Trinity, we can stand firmly on what is clearly revealed. The doctrine of Christ’s deity is very clear and is not something that we should say is ok to disagree on. Other things, however, are not as clear. For example, in His Word, God reveals that Christ will return at some point, that there will be a judgment, that no sane person should want to be apart from Christ when this happens, and that we must be faithful in trying to tell people the Good News. These statements are very clearly revealed in the Scriptures. There can be no debate as to the truth of these statements (at least not based on what God has revealed). However, the specifics of how these things will be played out is not very clear at all, as evidenced by centuries of fervent debate and study. This is an area where honest difference of opinion can exist. As such, we must show grace to each other when we disagree with brothers and sisters in Christ. This is one of those multifaceted examples where we can know something, something that is true, but we cannot comprehend the complexities of it. Now, I admit this is a weaker example. Now, to go for the kill and the super controversial subject around here (he he). The subject of God’s sovereignty. The Bible clearly says that God is sovereign. He is in total and absolute control. Nothing can trump Him, nothing surprises Him, and NOTHING is beyond His control. For someone to deny this fact, is to deny who God is and the testimony of Scripture. They have erred into heresy. However, the Bible also very clearly teaches that human beings make real choices and that they are responsible for those choices. God created us with some sense of free will. This is from God and cannot be denied. To do so, is also to err into heresy. So, what do we do with this tension (which is a term that means something we cannot comprehend)? Welcome to centuries of debate my friend! My point here is not to debate the issue, in fact, I think way too much time has been spent on it already! My point is that God is so incredibly beyond our scope of comprehension and so much more multifaceted than we are, that we cannot comprehend how these two things work together. We have tried time and time again to comprehend it, but, in my opinion, it is a mystery we do not have the capacity to understand and to claim that we do, is to go well beyond revealed scripture. Thus, this area, perhaps above all others in our Seminaries and Bible schools, is one in which we should show grace. How can we condemn one brother for staring at facet # 3,645,234,545, when we are fixated on facet # 3,645,234,546? Yet so often we do. We are only separated by a fraction of comprehension, both staring at the same characteristic of God’s relationship to humanity, though at slightly different facets, and then calling each other false based on our perception. The fact is that neither of us comprehends the total truth and to think that we do reduces God’s glory and exalts our arrogance (which btw, is and always is a negative correlation). Thus, again, we must show grace. We must realize our limited ability to understand against God’s infinity! So let us not divide over issues that simply come down to God being God and humans being flawed and only partially able to understand.

With the above, please do not hear me saying that we should not study to show ourselves approved. I believe that we should all study these things and try, the best that we can, to comprehend them. This should be both our duty and our joy, in growing in the knowledge of and in our relationship with, Christ our Savior. What I am saying is that unless something is truly crystal clear, let us have the humility to admit that we may be wrong and not judge our brother, who may be right, and the sense to realize we may both be blind.

Oh yeah, and before I forget, though the thoughts are mine (in as much as anything is ours), the specific term “facets” was taken from Kenneth Boa’s book “Conformed to His Image.” It is worth a read!


*1 – If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. When meeting new people and especially in a new group I tend to be an observer first. I will sort of disappear and watch and learn to see who people are. Thus, when I first meet people, they often think I am really quiet and reserved. Later they learn quite the opposite ;)

*2 - Note: this is not to lead to relativism, just to be sober in judgment and always with the realization that we may be wrong. Some would use similar logic to make the case that we cannot truly know anything and thus all is relative (which is a self-defeating argument btw ;). That is not AT ALL what I mean or the direction I am taking. The difference here is that my argument is based and / or formed on the authority of scripture. So, I am not making the case for Universalism or for anything other aberration.

*3 – 1 John 5:10 (in context vs 6-12); John 8:39-59; 1 John 2:22




Now, to prove yet another facet of who I am. I can be incredibly random (those who know me best are going, yep!). This entire note started because I wanted to post something short and fun (clearly I have accomplished that, right :). I sat down to post one of my favorite cartoons from one of my favorite cartoonists. I was going to write a sentence or two about how I am multifaceted and I like the serious stuff as well as the comical. So, 5 pages of text later…

This is one of my favorite cartoons by Reverend Fun. This site is my homepage. I will warn you, some of his stuff is absolutely hilarious and some just leave you scratching your head going O-K… (sorry Rev). Either way, it is worth a look :)

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He Came From Above

Well, yet another random series of thoughts that I am sharing for who knows what reason (again folks, my mind is always going and usually random). Also, I promise I am going somewhere with this that is not simply some random stories from my life. Soooooo…..

I was playing ultimate frisbee with some friends a week or two ago (and for the record, it has been at least three years since I’ve played ultimate and two years before that). Anyway, my point is that though I love this game, I just haven’t had much of a chance to play. Now, the vast majority of the time my athletics are centered around the martial arts with a decent amount of racquetball on the side. So, the hardest thing for me to remember with this game was that when I would receive the Frisbee, I was supposed to remain still. With both the martial arts and with racquetball, the point is continual motion and redirection. With ultimate the point is continual motion and redirection on the team level. However, on the individual level, the point is stop and start. Ok, so my point here is that I have been programmed for years to move as fluidly as possible and to keep moving. So, when I would catch the Frisbee it was hard to remember not to shoot around the person in front of me, create a decent opening, and then throw to the next person (as in so many other team sports – soccer, hockey… yea!). Ok, so after a while, I got sort of used to that, but then when I would catch it and someone was “on me” (ie: I knew I couldn’t go around and they were blocking me and “in my face”), my first “instinct” then switched to the martial arts. For years now, in a sport setting, if someone is close to me and “threatening” me, it has been a sparring session. So, I found myself catching the Frisbee, turning around, immediately seeing some guy really close to me, and then… the martial art response would want to kick-in to take the guy down, put them in an arm bar, or some other means of (temporarily) incapacitating him :)

Also, even though I haven’t been in a while, when I go ballroom dancing, it is very hard to remember some of the differences in movement. In the martial arts, the steps are (generally) very wide with long, but ballroom is very short. Thus, it is very hard to remember to keep my steps short so I don’t look like a total and complete idiot and end up dragging my partner instead of dancing with her (*cough cough*).

In the martial arts there exist two basic types or philosophies, generally known as hard and soft. The harder styles involve hard blocks and attacks, with power and simplicity at their core. The soft styles involve avoidance and redirection with fluidity and grace at their core. My base art is Shaolin Kempo Karate, which is a mixed soft / hard system. Thus, even though my natural “wiring” is toward the hard styles, I have to hold a balance with the two, especially where partners are concerned. When I am working with someone, I have to learn what “type” of person they are. Some people really like the hard styles, so with them I can block hard, punch hard, and just be rough. Some people really like the soft styles (especially the ladies :), so with them, I work on grace and fluidity (which, trust me, is an on-going process). Some people like to practice so that they are building up their body for a real-world scenario and some just want to learn the next set of moves. So, I must adjust (especially as an instructor) to the type they are comfortable with.

So by now you might be saying “what’s your point,” or “hmmm… I didn’t know that,” or you’ve just stopped reading out of boredom (in which case you wouldn’t be reading this and would be unknowingly illustrating the pointlessness and vanity of my rambling, which of course I wouldn’t realize because I wouldn’t know that you had stopped reading… and on I could go – again). Ok, here’s my point. We wear different hats. Now you’re saying, “huh?” Well, what I mean is that we are called to minister in whatever way God has called us. In order to do this, we will find ourselves in different situations, dealing with different people, in ways in which we have never before dealt. If we are the minister (and I mean this in terms of being the one ministering to someone else, not in terms of a specific office), we are called to adjust ourselves to the other person, situation, etc. To someone who is afraid, we must become comfort. To someone who is lacking motivation, we must become motivating (note I didn’t say “motivation”). We must have enough discernment so as to be able to see both the situation and the proper response (only in Christ, mind you), and then have the humility and love to do what we know needs to be done. We, as ministers, must be willing and able to set ourselves aside and look out for the other person’s benefit… above our own!!! This ought to apply and seep into every aspect of who we are and what we are doing. For the pastor, this means not taking your own agenda into churches, but seeing where the church is and using discernment to get the church where Christ wants it to go (not every church needs a gym, etc, etc). For the missionary (or is at least expressed in the most obvious way), this means contextualizing the Gospel for those of a different culture. It is not to abandon one’s own culture or to idolize another culture, but to recognize the differences and adjust the way we present the message accordingly (without losing the message!). For the counselor, this means taking extra care with those wounded and hurting. Some people can handle (and need) direct confrontation; some can’t handle it and need more grace. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Now to the real purpose of this note and the original reflection… thanks be to God that He has done just that for us! He condescended in the person of Christ, used human language, and human means, to communicate what He demands and how to please Him. Through the testimony of scripture we learn that God holds us accountable for the light (revelation) that we are given; no more, no less (Rom 1 for a small example). Thanks be to God that we are not held responsible for the full testimony (achieving perfection), but in Christ (and in Him alone) we are counted righteous. Once we are His children, He continues to be patient dealing with us according to our abilities (sometimes pushing us to the limit – which He knows). In other words, God does not just send us an email saying, “Here’s a list of all the things you need in order to be righteous, have them done by morning” (ha ha… my email server would crash under the “weight” of the sheer volume of that list). No, quite the contrary: instead, He, in His providence, sees what needs to be done in each of our lives and how much we can and can’t handle as individuals in Him. He knows that, were He to give us the entire list at once, we couldn’t handle it; we would shut down, and turn away in despair. So, instead of killing us all under the weight of what needs to be done (I speak in familiar colloquial terms here) He says “Ok, here’s the list on Aaron Hawk. Here are the top ten most pressing things that I want to accomplish in him. He can’t even handle all of these yet, but he can handle “X.”” By this I do not mean that it is necessarily a linear “hit list.” No, often it is multilateral, multi-dimensional, mulit-faceted, and a few other multi’s that I could throw in there (so much so, that our brains would explode to even consider the “multiness” of the working, much less the work itself). So, He is ever watching, adding, backing off, poking, prodding, and “just plain ole working” in order to transform us into the likeness of His son. Christ is our ultimate model in this; may we strive to be ever more like Him!


Isa 42:3 and Matt 12:20

Isaiah 42:3 3 "A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

A sloppy springboard from John 10

Originally posted 11:39pm Sunday, Nov 26, 2006 on Facebook


John 10:10-13 0 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.



“I am the good shepherd”… wow what a statement and a teaching!!! This should be the motto and heartbeat of ALL of our ministry and personal / interrelationships. We need to stop looking at things and people through self-serving vision and truly, earnestly be concerned with their well being above our own. Self-sacrifice is the model here (John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends). It is only when you come to the point that you totally abandon all concern for yourself and your own well being, for that of another person, that you even begin to catch a GLIMPSE of what it means to love in Christ (and I do not claim to have arrived). It means laying down all rights (and especially pride), at all costs, so that the other person can be built up in Him. If that means allowing them to step on your back to reach the next step, or even costing your own life, so be it! A shepherd is one who loves and owns his sheep. He knows them by name and protects them at all costs, they are dear to his heart. A hired person is only there for the money (insert other random self-serving things here) and has no investment in, commitment, or loyalty to the sheep. Thus, when trouble comes, his own wicked, self-preservation takes over and he runs, leaving the sheep unguarded and lost!

I must reflect and sadly admit the number of times I have been a hireling. No, not for money, but for equally selfish reasons. When we talk to someone or interact with them, what is our motive? It should be to see them brought closer to Christ, at any cost. If their personality or mannerisms bother us, of what eternal significance is it, compared with their spiritual edification?! If a misunderstanding, why must I be right? Note: I am not talking about matters of scriptural truth here, I am speaking of people’s interactions. Is it not better to “give ground” for the sake of their spiritual growth? Or are we so weak in faith and love, that we are willing to let our pride and EVIL ambitions prevent the other person’s growth? Do we lift ourselves up, on their back? God forbid!!! This is the antithesis of love in Christ!

Colossians 3:12-14 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Or are we so short-sighted that we don’t even realize what we are (or aren’t) doing? Do we see through our eyes, or the eyes of Christ? Brothers, we must bear with one another, building each other up, for the sake of the kingdom, with a PURE motive of LOVE IN CHRIST. We must CRUCIFY that evil, arrogant pride that destroys, and through the spirit, receive a new heart of love and compassion, which builds up eternally!!!

Ezekiel 11:19 19 "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh
---also---
Matthew 6:19-21 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

May God grant us eternal vision and blind us to ourselves!!!

2 Corinthians 4:18 …we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.


Are you as jealous over God’s flock as He is?


May God grant mercy and forgiveness for our manifold failures and transgressions against each other, and ultimately, against Him, as we throw ourselves at His mercy, trusting only in the blood of Christ!!!