Mission and Masturbation

How's THAT for a blog title! (I've been gone way too long!)

So I don't always agree with John Piper (sorry Jeff), but I really like this quote from Christianity Today:

"So many young people are being lost to the cause of Christ's mission because they are not taught how to deal with the guilt of sexual failure. The problem is not just how not to fail. The problem is how to deal with failure so that it doesn't sweep away your whole life into wasted mediocrity with no impact for Christ. The great tragedy is not masturbation or fornication or pornography. The tragedy is that Satan uses guilt from these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had or might have. In their place, he gives you a happy, safe, secure, American life of superficial pleasures, until you die in your lakeside rocking chair."

Yea... what he said.

"The tragedy is that Satan uses guilt from these failures to strip you of every radical dream you ever had or might have."

I often wonder how many people are stripped "of every radical dream" they have because of past sin. I wonder how many people don't go into full-time ministry because they don't feel they are "good enough." And so, rather than fulfill their calling in full-time ministry, they become "successful" in some other field.

Now, to be clear -- all jobs are equal and all jobs can be ministry. A Christian accountant is no less holy than a Christian pastor. UNLESS, that accountant is called to be a pastor and didn't respond.

So... as a pastor, let me ask you... if you are reading this and you have sinned (which should cover just about everyone, right?); the question I have for you is how do you view that sin? Are you being beat down by it? Is it keeping you from "every radical dream you ever had or might have?"

The gospel is not about sin avoidance. Yep, it's good to avoid sin. But the gospel is this great news that a new way of living is available. A radical dream. And we should willingly, excitedly, arrange our lives in such a way as to live in that God dream.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

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Yea, I'm a bum

Yea, I know I haven't been posting much. I will try and work on that. But I have been reading all of YOUR posts! (For you bloggers out there).

Nothing right now, but if you don't mind... surf over here. Read and comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Prayer

This is from a seminary professor of mine:

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.

The two survivors, not knowing what else to do,agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing the first man prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit.

The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land.

On the other side of the island,there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic,all of these were given to him.

However,the second man still had nothing.


Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that his wife and he could leave the island.In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island.

The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings,since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming,

"Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered, and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

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For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

I'm so sorry.

No really, I'm so sorry for sending you to this link. I really am. It's in bad taste. In fact, you really don't need to click here. Because if you do click here, you will be really sorry. I'm warning you. Don't click here. Jeff D. gave me this link if that helps you not to choose it. But really, don't click here.

You did it, didn't you?