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T H E I M AG E OF T H E BE AST ( In T he C hurch )
STEVE G ALL AG H E R
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PAST OR in a STRIP CLUB
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the MARRIAGE MATRIX
CHUCK C OLSON
MAGAZINE PURE LIFE MINISTRIES is fully committed to bringing the hope, healing and restoration found only in Christ to those who have been touched by the leprosy of sexual sin. Our staff members are graduates of one of our counseling programs themselves and have responded to the call of God to freely give to others the same compassion and mercy which the Father freely bestowed upon them. They are men and women who know how to speak the truth of God in love. In fulfilling our call, Pure Life Ministries is founded upon the authority of the Word of God as the supreme and allsufficient Truth for overcoming sin. We unashamedly preach a message of repentance unto salvation. Everything we do—whether in our counseling programs, our speaking ministry or the distribution of our books and resources—is based on the Word of God, with the goal of leading others to victory over sexual sin through a deeper life in God.
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T H E WAY I S E E I T
The Erotic vs. the Spiritual AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LATE A.W. TOZER BY STEVE GALLAGHER Founder and President of Pure Life Ministries
“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”
Dear Mr. Tozer, You have been enjoying the lovely atmosphere of Heaven for half a century now. But I want to tell you that your writings still have the anointing to cut to the quick of people’s hearts. I appreciate the fact that you never flattered me; that I could count on you to give it to me straight. I look forward to the day I will be able to thank you personally. The other day I was reading in your book Born After Midnight, when I came to the chapter entitled, “The Erotic vs. the Spiritual.” Much to my surprise you said: “The period in which we now live may well go down in history as the Erotic Age. Sex love has been elevated into a cult. Eros has more worshipers among civilized men today than any other god. For millions the erotic has completely displaced the spiritual… How Long, O Lord, how long?” Erotic Age? The 50’s? You’re kidding, right? I realize you witnessed the devilish writings of Alfred Kinsey and the birth and proliferation of Hefner’s trashy magazine. But you have no idea how mild those things appear now. Looking back, do you think you were just being naïve or were you so spiritually sensitized that you could predict the impending doom about to fall upon God’s people? I assume that you have not been allowed to lean over Heaven’s banister to view what is going on down here on Earth. So I need to inform you that within five years of your departure the sexual revolution burst upon the American landscape in an intensity that you probably cannot imagine. But I need to tell you that it is even worse than that.
Did you know that the Church has been swept along in this torrent of ungodliness? Did you know that some kind of undefinable invention called the internet would largely define life for most Christians? Did you know that this has made it possible for millions of professing Christians— both men and women—to regularly view videos of people having sex? Did you know that flagrant homosexuality was now becoming acceptable even within the evangelical Church? Did you know that in the past two decades at least a dozen nationally known ministers have been caught in illicit sexual activity? I realize we are assured that God will wipe away all our tears when we arrive in the Celestial City, so I can’t imagine you knowing these things. Surely if you did you would sit down on the nearest gold-plated street corner and weep uncontrollably. Mr. Tozer, we could sure use your heart-piercing words right now. Do you think the Lord would allow you to return to tell the Christians of my generation how far we have drifted? No, I suppose the Lord would say something like, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” Well, should this letter somehow make it through to you, please know that you are missed down here. And could you also ask the Lord a question for me: “How Long, O Lord, how long?”
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… T H E S M I L I N G , I N G R AT IAT I N G P O L I T I C IA N W H O WO R L D’ S P O P U L AT I O N W I L L M A S T E R F U L LY C O N C
He envisioned, molded and underwrote what was arguably the greatest political dynasty the United States has ever witnessed. Joseph Kennedy was determined that his sons would fulfill the political ambitions he was unable to fulfill himself. The most significant piece of advice that he gave them was to guard carefully the image they presented to the public. “You must remember,” he told them earnestly, “it’s not what you are that counts, but what people think you are.” That philosophy not only steered the careers of four generations of Kennedy politicians, but also has become one of the prevailing principles of image building for public figures of all kinds. Such thinking is to be expected in a world system where everyone is out for Number One. What is of greater concern
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is how this philosophy has made its way into the Body of Christ. In today’s hightech Church world, where thousands of ministries compete with each other for a piece of the evangelical pie (and all of the fame, prestige and money that goes with it), the image conveyed by mega-church pastors, best-selling authors and famous radio personalities is often carefully cultivated to ensure a positive public perception. Before we discuss the image of the beast, we should probably look at what the Bible says about image building. For instance, the Pharisees would have fit right into the world of Kennedy politics—and Jesus gave them a sound rebuke for it too. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on
the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all
“You must remember,” he told them earnestly, “it’s not what you are that counts, but what people think you are.” uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (MATTHEW 23:27-28) He had a few other choice things to say to them as well. The point the Lord was making was that the most important aspect of a minister’s life is not his public persona but the reality of what is going on inside. The apostle Paul made the same point from a positive perspective when
Image of the BEAST in the Church
BY STEVE GALL AGHER
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W I L L O N E D AY G A I N T H E A D M I R AT I O N O F T H E E A L H I S T R U E S A T A N I C A L L Y- P O S S E S S E D N A T U R E .
he told true believers that they have been “predestined to become conformed to the image of ” Jesus Christ. (ROMANS 8:29) He also said that they “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2 CORINTHIANS 3:18) He obviously isn’t saying that we will come to look like Him physically, but that, as we mature spiritually, we will come to resemble Him inwardly. Unredeemed earth dwellers—both pagans and apostate Christians—will one day “worship the beast and his image.” (REVELATION 14:11) Now, I don’t want to press this too far, but I can’t help but think of Jack Kennedy when considering people worshipping someone’s image. To this day, he is the prototype of the perfect president in many people’s minds. I suppose he was a pretty good president, but I just can’t see that
he accomplished that much for our country during his limited time in office. How then do we account for the fact that to this day multitudes of people absolutely idolize him? I would suggest that it isn’t the man who is so adored but the image that his political machine cultivated. If people really came to grips with his incessant cheating on his wife, the way he manipulated female interns into having sex, the dirty politics he was involved in and so on, perhaps they wouldn’t hold him in such high regard. I don’t know if the image of the beast referred to in Scripture is this kind of public persona or if it is some sort of spectacular laser imaging cast across the sky, but I am positive about one thing: the smiling, ingratiating politician who will one day gain the admiration of the world’s population
will masterfully conceal his true satanicallypossessed nature. It is interesting to me that when Paul broached the subject of the Antichrist to the Thessalonians, that he coupled it with the Great Apostasy. “Let no one in any way deceive you, for [the Lord] will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed.” (2 THESSALONIANS 2:3) There are many
I can’t help but think of Jack Kennedy when considering people worshipping someone’s image. defining statements about the Apostasy in Scripture—too many to mention here—but I can tell you that I am convinced that it is CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 >>
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These very same people are currently flocking after false teachers (wolves) with carefully cultivated images (sheep’s clothing). CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 >>
unfolding before our eyes right now. The Apostasy is a term describing a spiritual phenomenon that is happening on a vast scale. The inward spiritual life and all that it represents (love, dependence and submission to God) will die off, while an outward semblance (image) of Christianity will be maintained. Paul said apostate Christians would be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power…” (2 TIMOTHY 3:4-5) That is one of the most concise definitions of apostasy found in Scripture. I could reword it thusly: “Apostate Christians will continue to present a pious image to others while, at the same time, giving their hearts to the things of the world and resisting the inward work of the Holy Spirit.” By the time the Antichrist emerges
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on the scene, nominal Christians will not be able to resist his winsome personality and powerful persuasiveness because they have long since given their hearts over to the spirit of the world which animates him. These very same people are currently flocking after false teachers (wolves) with carefully cultivated images (sheep’s clothing). They are already worshipping the image of the media personalities who are teaching them the kind of self-centered Christianity their itching ears desire. Paul’s words have never been more true: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 CORINTHIANS 4:3-4)
You see, if a Christian (I use that term loosely) has a track record of conveying a godly image to those around him, rather than fighting for a godly inward life, he will not have the discernment to recognize the false teachers of today or the Antichrist of tomorrow. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he is putting himself in the same pridebased spirit that rules their lives. Joseph Kennedy (along with ambitious leaders and false teachers) believed that image is more important than character: “… it’s not what you are that counts, but what people think you are.” No, Mr. Kennedy; in the end it is what you are that counts, not what people think you are, “for at the Bar of Christ we must all appear in our true characters, that each may reap the results of the life which he has lived… whether good or worthless.” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 TCNT) NO REPRESENTATIONS MADE OF INDIVIDUALS DEPICTED.
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“I have been buying pornography and going to massage parlors.” His announcement left me stunned and angry because he had been lying to me for the past 18 months. The only reason he was telling me the truth now was that his wife had caught him. I had poured out my life to this man! Then I found that his self-reports were all bogus. How could he have done this to me – me the great friend, the great counselor, the sacrificial servant?! Thankfully, the Spirit didn’t leave me there, no matter how much I wanted to persist in my self-righteous anger. Over the next few hours some other questions emerged. Why was I so concerned about me when my friend was in such dangerous bondage? Why didn’t I first think about the effects on his wife? Why wasn’t I grateful that the Spirit brought light into the darkness? Was I actually angry that other people might find out that I had been the gullible fool? Why was my initial reaction all about me? After personal repentance and regaining my spiritual equilibrium my mind went to the nature of lies, and I have been musing about them ever since. Lies are the close companion of all sexual sin. If there is sexual sin there will be lies. It is a basic spiritual principle. No exceptions. Therefore, if we want to be helpful to someone who struggles with sexual sin we should get up to speed on what God says about lies. There are only two languages in the cosmos: truth or falsehood. The Kingdom of Heaven proclaims the Truth – Jesus Christ – with the truth. The Kingdom of Darkness speaks lies in honor and imitation of the Father of Lies. If I had remembered this I wouldn’t have been angry with my friend. I would have been afraid for him. His language revealed that he
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preferred, at least for a time, a kingdom in which the agenda was his death. My counter should have been to pray, wrap the truth in love and try to woo him back to the Kingdom of Christ. Lifeguards don’t get angry at someone who is drowning. Instead, they invest all their efforts into trying to save that person. Among all the questions that could be asked of Scripture regarding lies, consider just one. How can we as pastors and counselors create a context where the truth can be spoken? That doesn’t mean that the truth always will be spoken, but how can we have relationships where we are alert to the dangers of lies and prize the truth. The opposite page offers a few ideas you might want to consider as you minister to those in sexual sin. Dr. Ed Welch is a counselor and faculty member at The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation
(www.ccef.org)
B Y E D W E L C H , P H . D.
PROVIDING AN ATMOSPHERE •
FOR TRUTH Raise the issue early. Ask your counselee if he is going to lie when confronted with some uncomfortable truth.
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Reveal the course of lies. Once we cover up it becomes easier to tell lies and harder to tell the truth. Sin feeds sin and blinds us to the beauty of God’s path.
Watch your reactions. Make sure you don’t look shocked and disgusted when someone confides in you. Sometimes people lie because they get the clear message that the other person can’t handle the truth.
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Remember that lies are easy and natural, especially when they have been practiced. Inveterate liars will lie even when the lie is worse than the truth.
Grow in the knowledge of God. Since Satan’s most prominent strategy is to raise questions about God’s goodness, be certain to keep the cross in view.
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Ask if there are things you can do to make it easier to speak the truth. We too are sinners so we need the prayer and ministry of others.
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Emphasize the victory involved when a person confesses sin without having to be caught. It is a reason to celebrate.
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Speak personally about how falsehood will affect your relationship with him and how much honesty will be valued.
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• Talk about how the liar is aligning himself with the Kingdom of Darkness. Lies partner with darkness, hardness of heart, deceitful desires and lust.
Talk about the purposes of lies. They hide shame. They make us more pleasing in the sight of others. They can even make us think that we are OK as we believe the lies that we tell.
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I had been in ministry for five years the fateful day that I took my first step into hell. It had been some time since I first noticed the strip club near our church. Occasionally the thought would enter my mind to visit it, but I would quickly dismiss it. The fact that I was a happily married youth pastor didn’t seem to diminish my curiosity about what was within the battered walls of that dilapidated building. I often toyed with the thought of visiting the place, and over time my resolve to resist the temptation waned. One day, I impulsively but very purposefully pushed my nagging fears aside. With a pounding heart and shortness of breath I made the quick jaunt to the club. It was almost as if I was watching someone else go through the motions in my body. I could hardly believe I was actually handing my cash to the man at the front door.
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The next few moments seemed to be a blur of overwhelming excitement and fear—the two passions working together to accelerate the exhilaration I was experiencing. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I took trembling steps toward a seat near the stage. I was stunned by what I saw that day… no, I was hooked. An hour or so later I darted out of this hellish den where lust-filled men and hollowed women partner together down the long, miserable descent into ignominy. I, a minister of Jesus Christ, had joined their club. The truly amazing thing is that for the next eighteen years I was able to juggle my secret life of prostitutes, massage parlors and strip clubs with an increasingly successful ministry. Eventually I began stealing money from my church to cover the cost of my ever-burgeoning addiction.
No one, including my wife, had a clue as to who I really was. I was a classic Pharisee. I looked so good on the outside, but inside I was full of dead man’s bones. Had I been left to myself, I would still be living in that hell. “But God, who is rich in mercy…” intervened in my life and exposed
I had to face the fact that I was so self-centered that I had been willing to hurt anyone as long as I could have the pleasure of that one moment. me. It happened when my wife discovered a secret bank account I had opened. Within a week I was forced to fully confess my secret life to my church board. I resigned my position as pastor—something in my delusion I had never thought would really happen.
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Y EYES ADJUSTED TO THE DARKNESS,
B L I N G S T E P S T O WA R D A S E AT N E A R T H E S TA G E .
By chance, it was just then that I received a brochure in the mail describing Pure Life Ministries. I learned that the man who started PLM, Steve Gallagher, had lived a life similar to mine and had been transformed by the power of God. The Lord was now using him to help other men break free from this debilitating sin. I began wondering, “Is this place for me? Is this what God is going to use to set me free from my sin?” My wife began divorce proceedings. There was also talk at the church about prosecuting me for embezzling funds. At that point it seemed certain that I was not only headed for divorce court but criminal court as well. I realized that I could very well end up in prison. Nevertheless, my main concern was getting the help I needed. I entered the Pure Life Ministries residential program. I had not been there long when the Lord began
to deal severely with me. I was now face to face with who I really was: a deceiver, an adulterer and a thief. I had to face the fact that I was so self-centered that I had been willing to hurt anyone as long as I could have the pleasure of that one moment. I was facing the greatest crisis of my life. One day, the reality of all that I had done overwhelmed me. I ended up on my face before the Lord truly repenting—not simply about the sinful things I had done but the person I had become. It was as if God was purging the love of evil out of the deepest part of my being. From that point on my life took a completely different course. Scriptures that I had been so familiar with in the past— and had even used in sermons—were now becoming reality to me. They were no longer just words on a page. I began seeing Christ in a new dimension and discovered how FOR INFORMATION
deep His love was for me. My prayer time came alive for the first time in my life. I also learned the importance of living in daily repentance. It has now been fourteen years since I graduated from the Pure Life live-in program. Today I can honestly say that I am living free of the bondage of sin and lust. After two years of separation my wife agreed to return to me. My church graciously agreed to allow me to pay back the money that I had stolen over the years. I deserved divorce, prison and eternal death for the things I had done. It is not possible for me to fully explain the wonderful difference that Christ has made in my life. I owe Him everything. He has done the impossible! He has set me free, changed my heart and restored my life. All the honor and praise goes to Him for He is truly worthy.
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M A R I TA L M AT R I X
Why ‘G ay Mar r iag e’ Is Impossible
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The moment she was engaged, Michelle Meako told her intended, “I want a big wedding,” and that’s what they had. The couple wrote their own vows, picked out a cake, and planned a Canadian honeymoon after a lavish reception. The couple only omitted one detail: a marriage license. They couldn’t get one because Michelle and her “spouse” are both women. Is it unjust for government to refuse to authorize same-sex “marriages”? A growing number of secular commentators think so. How do we respond? First, we have to explain the meaning and purpose of marriage. In his book, The Clash of Orthodoxies, Princeton philosopher Robert George writes that the matrimonial law reflects a moral judgment. That judgment is that marriage is inherently heterosexual, monogamous, and permanent—a union of one man and one woman. This judgment is based on both the biblical and natural law understandings that marriage is a two-in-one-flesh communion of persons. This communion is consummated and actualized sexually—that is, by acts that are reproductive, whether or not they result in children. They unite the spouses as a single procreative unit—an organic unity achieved even by infertile couples.
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Only a mated pair can be a complete organism capable of human procreation. By contrast, homosexual acts have no relationship to procreation and can’t unite persons organically. As a result, these acts can’t be marital—which means relationships integrated around them can’t be marriages. Same-sex partners are physically incapable of marriage. It takes a man and a woman to become “one flesh.” I can already hear the arguments your secular neighbors are making. “Okay,” they say. “That’s your definition of marriage. But why should your views be imposed on everyone else?” That’s why we have to be ready with additional, non-religious arguments for traditional marriage. For instance, if we expand the meaning of marriage to include same-sex unions, on what grounds could we legitimately oppose marriages between three or more people, or weddings between siblings? Another argument made by my friend Bill Bennett is the impact it would have on the shaping of human sexuality, especially among the young. “Societal indifference,” he writes, “about heterosexuality and homosexuality would cause a lot of [sexual] confusion.”
B Y T H E L AT E CHUCK COLSON
When we defend traditional marriage, we’re upholding far more than just the Christian definition of matrimony. Since the beginning of recorded history, virtually every society and every major religion has revered and protected traditional marriage. It’s the institution that nurtures, protects, and civilizes children. Marriage forms the framework of society’s most basic institution: the family. If supporters of same-sex marriage succeed, marriage would be reduced to nothing more than a legal contract between any two people based solely on feelings. True marriage would be abolished, and the damage to our society would be irreparable. That’s why it’s so important for Christians to understand the prudential arguments in support of a traditional view of marriage and why it deserves special protection under the law. George’s book, The Clash of Orthodoxies, will help you do this. You’ll learn why even the most elaborate wedding cannot a marriage make—unless it’s between one man and one woman. Copyright 2000 by Prison Fellowship Ministries. Used by permission. Chuck Colson is founder and chairman of Prison Fellowship Ministries and commentator on the nationally syndicated daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint.”
Pastor,
what is theValue to your Congregation of a Transformed Life and a Restored Family? Our 9-month Residential Program is for men who are desperate for freedom and real answers to their sexual addictions. Why is this program is so effective? • • • • • •
The presence of God that brings a man into deep repentance Complete separation from old sources of temptation Regular biblical counseling by men who have overcome sexual sin themselves Structured environment where a sexual addict can learn a life of discipline Local employment covers low-cost weekly fees Two-phase program with emphasis on readjusting to life afterward
We also provide phone counseling options: Overcomers At-Home (OCAH) ~ for men, women, or mature teens At-Home Program for WIVES ~ for hurting wives NO REPRESENTATIONS MADE OF INDIVIDUALS DEPICTED.
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