Archive for January, 2009

After a couple of week’s worth of work, all of our websites have been upgraded to the latest version of the Content Management System we use to manage our community websites.

The last to get upgraded was Teens Against Pornography which I finished tonight.

There are several new features so go check them out!

At work today, there are these window cleaners right outside my window. Imagine someone just behind your computer monitor doing “wax on, wax off” while you are trying to concentrate. But that’s not all! They aren’t just using the soap and squeegee. They are buffing the windows with an electric buffer! It is the most grating and distracting thing I could possibly think of.

As I think about it, it is not terribly unlike the barrage of images that constantly seem to attack my eyes and tempt me to lust. From television, print advertising, maybe the occasional jogger, email spam, even my MSN Messenger client with those stupid dating or diet flash ads. All of these things distract me from the purity that I desire.

I am sitting here listening to music on my mp3 player trying to drown out the noise. I closed the blinds so I don’t have to watch the guy “buff” the windows. Even with these measures, the annoyance is only muted, not completely removed.

Following the analogy, what can we do to drown out the distractions from our goal of sexual purity?

One thing that comes to mine is to only watch recorded TV shows so that I can fast-forward through commercials (long live the DVR!).

I know that techniques only turn down the volume and do not address the heart issue. But they can make it more bearable to walk through life without feeling like a dog in heat!

What other ideas are out there? How can we drown out the constant annoyances that distract us from purity?

I don’t have HBO, but I am interested in a documentary that is airing tomorrow called, “The Trials of Ted Haggard“.

It is always interesting and frankly sad to see how the church shoots its own wounded. That is not to condone Mr. Haggard’s behavior, but rather to indict the church for vehemently distancing itself from a man in obvious need of the grace of Christ to rebuild the brokenness in his life.

Somewhat ironically, Ted Haggard spoke at my graduation dinner from Christ for the Nations Institute back in 1999. I was inspired by his passion and knew that he was a prominent evangelical Christian leader. The irony is that now I have been through to a certain degree some of the process that he must be undergoing in recovery from sexual sin. He spoke encouraging words to us about going out and doing God’s work. Now I feel I can with some authority encourage him to do the same!

Those of us who struggle with habitual sin know that the outward behavior is a reflection of the inward condition of the heart. Jesus put it this way…

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
- Matthew 15:19

The point is that the behavior was merely an expression of a heart that needed changing. We all have one of those, don’t we?

If you get to watch the documentary, comment here on it. I’d be interested to hear about it.

By the way, Ted Haggard is going to be on Larry King Live tonight to talk about the film.

I have just added the PCM (Pure Community Minsitries) blog to ScribeFire. That’s the blogging client that I like to use. It’s a plug-in for FireFox and works nicely.

Now to find some contributors and get this thing rolling!

John

We are trying something new…creating a new blog for our ministry. We hope to update it from time-to-time with thoughts and information that can help those who struggle with or have been hurt by sexual sin find healing.

Check back on occasion or better yet, subscribe to our blog!

Blessings to you!
John