Monday, December 04, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Solomon's Warning
The other day I was reading from Proverbs, one of my favorite books of the Bible. Solomon, a true "wise guy", wrote most of the book. Many of his words of wisdom deal with the issue that most everyone struggles with; temptation.
Solomon gives us words of wisdom like:
Proverbs 6:23-29 (NIV) 23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, 24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, 26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
What you may not realize about Solomon is that he is the product of a couple who had an affair! His father, David, the king of Israel, saw a lady bathing on a nearby rooftop. He sent for Bathsheba, slept with her, and she became pregnant. Bathsheba was married to Uriah and during this time he was off to war, defending the King. King David called for him to come back from the front lines in an effort to get him to sleep with his wife so that he would not discover that Bathsheba was not carrying his child. Uriah refused to sleep with his wife because he didn't feel it was right while his fellow soldiers were out risking their lives. When that didn't work, David sent Uriah out to the front lines, knowing he would be killed. It worked.
David took Bathsheba to be his wife and she gave birth to a son who soon became ill and died. After the death, David comforted his wife and went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.
Solomon wrote in verse 27, "Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?"
Do you struggle with lust? Have you had an affair? Do you view pornagraphy?
The Bible tells us that God loves us and provides a way of escape from every temptation. It also says that sin leads to death, but God provided the gift of His son Jesus, who died for our sin. If we repent of sin, and turn to Christ, He will forgive us.
check out this website for some help, www.everymansbattle.com
Solomon gives us words of wisdom like:
Proverbs 6:23-29 (NIV) 23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, 24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, 26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
What you may not realize about Solomon is that he is the product of a couple who had an affair! His father, David, the king of Israel, saw a lady bathing on a nearby rooftop. He sent for Bathsheba, slept with her, and she became pregnant. Bathsheba was married to Uriah and during this time he was off to war, defending the King. King David called for him to come back from the front lines in an effort to get him to sleep with his wife so that he would not discover that Bathsheba was not carrying his child. Uriah refused to sleep with his wife because he didn't feel it was right while his fellow soldiers were out risking their lives. When that didn't work, David sent Uriah out to the front lines, knowing he would be killed. It worked.
David took Bathsheba to be his wife and she gave birth to a son who soon became ill and died. After the death, David comforted his wife and went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.
Solomon wrote in verse 27, "Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?"
Do you struggle with lust? Have you had an affair? Do you view pornagraphy?
The Bible tells us that God loves us and provides a way of escape from every temptation. It also says that sin leads to death, but God provided the gift of His son Jesus, who died for our sin. If we repent of sin, and turn to Christ, He will forgive us.
check out this website for some help, www.everymansbattle.com
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Friday, October 06, 2006
Emerging Leaders
This past week I had an opportunity to go on a road trip with 40 other "young" pastors from Minnesota. Believe me when I say, "I just qualify". We went to Naperville, Ill. to meet with A/G Supt. Trask. The forum was to discuss the topic of "Young Emerging Pastors". I will not go into the details of what was said and what was accomplished, but I do want to share one thought with you about what I realized.
As I approach the age of 42 next week, I realized now more than ever how much I need young thinking around me. I need to learn from a culture that thinks different than I do in order to minister to them. There is such a passion in their hearts to reach their age group and the way they do that is different than how I would try and reach someone who is 40+. It was a great bus trip with plenty of opportunity for me to learn from younger guys. Hopefully as the really young and the not so young discussed ideas, the young were able to capture the wisdom of those who have gone before them and apply what they can to the methods that are used to reach the next generation.
As I approach the age of 42 next week, I realized now more than ever how much I need young thinking around me. I need to learn from a culture that thinks different than I do in order to minister to them. There is such a passion in their hearts to reach their age group and the way they do that is different than how I would try and reach someone who is 40+. It was a great bus trip with plenty of opportunity for me to learn from younger guys. Hopefully as the really young and the not so young discussed ideas, the young were able to capture the wisdom of those who have gone before them and apply what they can to the methods that are used to reach the next generation.
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