The Harder Truths

All-Bible Exhortations and Warnings on Sexual Temptation and Sexual Sin I appeal to you, brothers, bear with this word of exhortation (Hebrews 13:22).  Who can say, "I have kept my  heart pure ; I am clean and without sin? (Proverbs 20:9)    Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). Everything in the world--the  lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes , comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:16) The works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality ,  impurity, sensuality, idolatry, carousing , and things like these, of which I have forewarned you, those who  practice  such things  will not inherit the kingdom of God  (Galatians 5:19-21). Among you there must not be even a hint of any kind of impurity (Ephesians 5:3). Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and  younger women as sisters , with  absolute  purity (1 Timothy 5:2).  Because  whoever looks at a woman to  lust  after her has committed adultery with her already in his hea

by Greg Cooper    Originally posted on 8/15/2018 “I’m fully known and loved by you; You won’t let go no matter what I do , sings Christian artist Tauren Wells in his latest popular song,  Known .  Tauren Wells Peaking at #12 in the August 2018 Billboard  charts , the song follows a questionably themed 2017 hit  Reckless Love  by Cory Asbury, which placed in three notable #1 spots in three categories within the Christian genre on Billboard charts last year. That song describes God’s love as just that — reckless, a word strictly used as a dire negative in the Bible (it literally means, ‘without concern’). Asbury  defends  its use by saying,  “When I use the phrase, ‘the reckless love of God,’ I’m not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves is, in many regards, quite so.”  His word choices in one  interview  make this statement even more questionable. He suggested that Jesus' birth and subsequent death on the cross was  " the m

By Greg Cooper Nearly every child in the West believes in Santa Claus today - a fictional character slowly transformed over time to appeal to children's imaginations all around the globe.   Santa has slowly evolved  into a fantasized version of the real deal:  Saint Nick ,  a persecuted  Christian in the third century  devoted to following  Jesus, whose motto was to "sell what you own and give  it to the poor", a man with a deep  love for children and for the truth." And yet, many of us Christians have largely disregarded the true meaning of Christmas and have convinced our kids that Santa and the made-up stories that come with him are the more important items of focus. Most of our children, having such precious faith, have been misguided to "believe" in fictional Santa. During this precious window time of their innocence, they have a natural, simple belief in the supernatural.  With all the lies that are influencing culture and our vulnerable c

By Greg Cooper Today, it is reported that over three-quarters of professing Christians celebrate Halloween ( Source ).  Of the 323 million people living in the United States, the vast majority identify themselves as being Christian ( Source ). This means that there are literally millions of professing believers actively participating in and endorsing Halloween, the day on which Satanists, witches, and occultists prefer to sacrifice animals and children to the devil ( Source ). Could this also be linked to what Christians are ingesting through television and movies?  Christians Swayed By Media? Christians may in fact be more easily swayed to accept Halloween, with all its evils, by what they watch.   It is a sad fact that there are believers today who have immersed themselves in the entertainment media culture which surrounds us.   Instead of heeding God’s warning to “come out of them [temples of idolatry] and being separate,” as the Bible urges us (2 Corinthians 6:17), s