Exceptional

Living a godly life in the military can be tough for anyone. There is an overwhelming pressure to conform and fall in line. Those who resist this culture of conformity risk being ridiculed, harassed, and even threatened. This pressure is especially strong for the single Soldier, Airman, Sailor, or Marine.

While I was serving in the Air Force during the Gulf War, I was the one bringing the pressure to bear on a fellow Airman. He was outspoken about his faith in Christ and didn’t party, cuss, or laugh at any number of my extremely inappropriate jokes. Instead he would invite me to church, tell me about Jesus, and try to be my friend. Man, I hated this guy.

I would make fun of him, his wife, his church, and his God. I would be part of groups that would harass and ridicule him for his faith and his unwillingness to do anything that the rest of us were doing. He never gave in, never quit, and never, ever compromised.

Being a strong Christian in a culture of conformity is tough, real tough; but it can be done. While everyone else is out getting drunk, shacking up with their girlfriend or boyfriend, and participating in other self destructive behavior, you might feel like you are missing out. You might be sick of being on the outside and you just want to be one of the team. Compromise is not the answer.

Jesus faced similar circumstances in His life. He was betrayed by his own people and one of his best friends turned him in for a crime he didn’t even commit. Jesus was a true non-conformist in a culture of conformity. While everyone else was going along with the program, Jesus stood for what was right, not what was popular.

Being a non-conformist in the Christian sense does not mean that we are different just to be different. It means that we are different because we are following Jesus, and Jesus is different. He is more than different; He is exceptional and we are to live exceptional lives for Him.

Chances are you won’t be single forever; but right now you have some awesome potential for the Kingdom of God. You have more personal time, more expendable income, and probably more energy than you will ever have again. You could use all those resources in the same way that everyone else is, or you can put those resources in God’s hands and allow Him to use you like never before.

For three years I harassed that guy in my shop for being a Christian. One night though, something happened. The presence of God entered my barracks and Jesus touched my life. I surrendered to Him that night and started a lifelong journey of following Jesus.

It’s all really because of one Airman’s faithful uncompromising love for me that I am a Christian today. He refused to give in to the culture of conformity that I was neck deep in. Commit today to be exceptional for Christ and go against the tide of the typical military lifestyle. God will use your faithfulness to bring others into a relationship with himself.

Full

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:16–18, ESV)

These words tell us that there is a fulness in Christ. There is a fulness of essential Deity, for “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead.” There is a fulness of perfect manhood, for in him, bodily, that Godhead was revealed. There is a fulness of atoning efficacy in his blood, for “the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” There is a fulness of justifying righteousness in his life, for “there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” There is a fulness of divine prevalence in his plea, for “He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” There is a fulness of victory in his death, for through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil. There is a fulness of efficacy in his resurrection from the dead, for by it “we are begotten again unto a lively hope.” There is a fulness of triumph in his ascension, for “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for men.” There is a fulness of blessings of every sort and shape; a fulness of grace to pardon, of grace to regenerate, of grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect. There is a fulness at all times; a fulness of comfort in affliction; a fulness of guidance in prosperity. A fulness of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, of love; a fulness which it were impossible to survey, much less to explore. “It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” Oh, what a fulness must this be of which all receive! Fulness, indeed, must there be when the stream is always flowing, and yet the well springs up as free, as rich, as full as ever. Come, believer, and get all thy need supplied; ask largely, and thou shalt receive largely, for this “fulness” is inexhaustible, and is treasured up where all the needy may reach it, even in Jesus, Immanuel—God with us. 


Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening : Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Fornicating on the Battlefield

by Tony Anderson

When I ask men about their sexual behavior, most guys are surprisingly honest when anonymity is a factor. We’ve spoken about porn, oral sex, prostitution, lust, marriage, thoughts, immorality, intimacy, desires, homosexuality, masturbation, sexual abuse, incest, greed, and idolatry. I’ve eaten meals with pastors, executives, bankers, doctors, religious people, church planters, frat guys, students, entrepreneurs, traffickers, and average guys that work 40 hours a week and stay relatively pure.

The Majority of Us Are Sexually Broken

Most of us had absent fathers. 1 in 5 of us were sexually abused. Every one of us has learned the art of concealing sin. Around 80% of men in the church are currently using pornography. Some of us don’t need a girlfriend because we’re in full-fledged relationship with our hand or laptop. And some of us know the feeling of cold emptiness after leaving a strip club or a brothel. Some of you men know what it's like to go to sleep next to an empty shell of a woman that used to be your wife because your infatuation with photoshopped women has extinguished the intimacy. You’re no longer lovers, you’re roommates with children. Some of you are fathers that see your sexual sin manifested in your children, but you’re too fearful to expose it in your own life regardless of the damage its doing to your marriage and family. “What if coming out with this stuff makes things worse?” is the only question you’ve thought of.
I know where you’re at. I know what you’re thinking. And I know the lies you’re deceived by. I’ve been where some of you are.

You Love Porn...And Jesus? 

A good friend of mine has battled sexual addiction all of his life. He’s a graduate of Bible college and is part of a healthy church. He’s got a lovingly invasive community and has had numerous Godly mentors pushing him towards Jesus for the last 7 years, but he still uses pornography every chance he gets—disabling the X3 watch on his phone and computer. If he’s alone for longer than 30 minutes with an internet connection, he begins searching for filth. He still habitually masturbates. He lies about his sin. He conceals his secrets. He manipulates Christian women into sinning with him, then he lies about that. He exemplifies the epitome of selfishness and a lack of self control.
But he also calls Jesus his Lord…Are you that guy? It’s sometimes an anomaly to me when men can be sexually enslaved while following Jesus, yet that’s what the overwhelming majority of them tend to be living. Can the two coexist? Are they diametrically opposed? Isn’t one the antithesis of the other?

Still Enslaved 

I’m not going to quote your favorite authors or offer free accountability software. I don’t have a PDF to read or an invitation to a men’s conference. You’ve probably already tried those things. You’ve read books and made countless commitments, which you’ve broken. You’ve tried accountability. You’ve gone through a “freedom season.” You’ve confessed your sin. You’ve been rebuked. You’ve disconnected the internet. You’ve been kicked out of the house. You’ve destroyed the computer. You’ve memorized the Word of God. You’ve pleaded with Jesus to remove the thorn in your flesh. You’ve shouted, screamed, and wept. You’ve tried everything and you’re still shackled.

A Different Kind of Image 

Just imagine for a moment that this is reality: You’re on a battlefield. It’s dark. Chaotic. Cold wind is whipping your face. The stench of death fills the air. Corpses of demons lie all around you and the field is soaked in blood. You can hear the sounds of armor and weapons colliding while sparks are flying. Screams pierce your ears.
You see chiseled, powerful beings radiating in white and they’re destroying shadows, gripping the throats of principalities and slitting them with iridescent blades. But you’re without armor. You wonder how you got to this place and why you came unprepared.

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Men that you recognize are rushing the opposite direction—spears aligned, ready to throw. Swords sharpened, shields fixed, helmets lowered they’re ready for battle. They’re calling for you to join them. They’re rushing for the the front lines—they’re unafraid. They know they’ve been given victory.
But not you. You’ve got your pants down around your ankles. You’re roaming in circles looking for the seductress that’s calling you by name. You can’t wait to fornicate on the battlefield.
And all the while, the kingdom is coming. The lost are being found. The sick are being healed. Demonic assignments are being cancelled. The veil is being lifted off of false religion and the persecuted church is exponentially growing in the face of opposition. Jesus is authoritatively mediating a covenant—the Spirit is interceding for the children of God, breathing life into dry bones.
You? You want an orgasm.

A Reminder of Who You Are

• You are God’s child
  John 1:12
• You are a friend of Jesus
  John 15:15
• You have been justified
  Romans 5:1
• You’ve been united with the Lord and are one with him in Spirit
  1 Corinthians 6:17
• You’ve been bought with a price…you belong to God
  1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• You’re a member of Christ’s body
  1 Corinthians 12:27
• You’ve been chosen by God and adopted as his child
  Ephesians 1:3-8
• You’ve been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins
  Colossians 1:13-14
• You are complete in Christ
  Colossians 2:9-10
• You have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus
  Hebrews 4:14-16
• You are free from condemnation
  Romans 8:1-2
• You cannot be separated from the love of God
  Romans 8:28
• You are free from any condemning charges against you
  Romans 8:31-34
• You’ve been established, anointed, and sealed
  2 Corinthians 1:21-22
• You were washed…you were sanctified. You were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God
  1 Cor 6:11
• You are hidden with Christ in God
  Colossians 3:1-4
• God started this work in you, and he will bring it to completion
  Phil 1:6
• You are a citizen of heaven
  Philippians 3:20
• You haven’t been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind
  2 Timothy 1:7
• You are born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you
  1 John 5:18
• You are a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of his life
  John 15:5
• You have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit
  John 15:16
• You are God’s temple
  1 Corinthians 3:16
• You are a minister of reconciliation
  2 Corinthians 5:17-21
• You are seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm
  Ephesians 2:6
• You are God’s workmanship
  Ephesians 2:10
• You can approach God with freedom and confidence – not because of your obedience, but because of Jesus’ obedience
  Ephesians 3:12
• When you are faithless, he will remain faithful, because he cannot deny himself
  2 Timothy 2:13

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus 

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? (Hebrews 12:1-5).
You've been eating with the pigs long enough. Come home, son.

Click here to see the original post at the Resurgence website.

Top 10 Reasons To Watch "The Playboy Club" on NBC

1. Hugh Hefner defines class and sophistication.
2. It's about time we had a show that glamorizes the porn industry.
3. Finally something to compete with "family" television programming like "Jersey Shore".
4. Young girls will find new purpose as they aspire to be Playboy bunnies.
5. The Hefner empire needs more money.
6. It's not porn if it's on network television, right?
7. Young ladies will finally learn that looks are all that matters.
8. What else are you going to do, read a book?
9. It's great sermon research for my next series "The Play-Christian Club".
10. It's a show that feeds the idols of sex, celebrity, and money all at once.

Obviously this is a sarcastic response to the upcoming network television show "The Playboy Club". Porn is destroying lives, the lives of those who make it and the lives of those who consume it. The pornification of America is a cancer that is sweeping though secular society as well as the church of Jesus Christ. If you struggle with porn you are not alone, please take a moment to read Mark Driscoll's free resource "Porn Again Christian". This is a frank commentary and recommended reading for adult men and women.

Did Michelangelo really carve the Statue of David?

A guest blog by Stacey Leighty

Someone recently told me: “I’m too logical to believe there is a God.”  This statement has been weighing on me ever since.  Mostly because I consider myself to be an extremely logical person (what with being a math major and everything) and I believe in God.  All of my ponderings have led me to the conclusion that I’m too logical to believe there is no God.  Follow my thought process, if you will.

For some reason, I started thinking about the (new) seven wonders of the world – here are just a few of them:

1. The Great Wall of China – built between 5 BC and 16 AD, it’s the world’s longest manmade structure.  But, how do we know it’s manmade?  Were any of us there when it was built?  How do we know that rocks didn’t just fall into place over thousands or millions of years to create this wall?  Sure, there were eyewitnesses to the building process, but I’ve never met them either.  How do I know they’re trustworthy?
   
2. Christ the Redeemer Statue – a 130 ft. tall concrete and soapstone statue towering over Rio de Janeiro.  It was designed by Heitor da Silva.  I didn’t know who designed it before I looked it up, but I knew there was an artist/designer.  It will be illogical to think otherwise.
   
3. The Taj Mahal – built between 1632 and 1648, it’s a mausoleum commissioned for an Indian emperor’s wife.  It actually incorporates quite a few different architectural styles in its design.  But, again, how do we even know that there was an architect?
   
4. Petra – an ancient city in Jordan literally carved out of the rock.  Who carved it?  Would it be logical to assume that years of wind and water somehow carved out beautiful, inhabitable buildings in the stone?

So, here’s the conclusion I came to: I believe that all of these “wonders” had a builder or artist or architect for one reason – they exist.  Their mere existence points to the fact that they were indeed built or designed by someone.  I see a building and I know there was a builder.  I see a piece of art and I know there was an artist.  Yet, we see all of creation around us and some would say that there is no Creator?  How can this be?  The human eye is more complex than any of these wonders, and yet it’s logical to believe that it came into existence by mere happenstance?  That, in my opinion, is illogical.  I think it takes far more faith to believe that everything we see around us came into being with no Creator orchestrating it all.