Modern Disciple Magazine for Men (MDM4M), published in Canada
JUNE / JULY 2004
Cover |
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One-On-One with Jeff Frankenstein |
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Socially Acceptable Sin
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The Music of Duvall
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More Than Accountability
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God in the Wild
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The Pond or the Power
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Surrender
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LifeLine
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Viva III
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The Pond or the Power?
by Warwick Cooper
Why would men forfeit a sense of what is real in relationship for
something that is false and illusionary? Why would a man spend
hours in front of a computer screen in his basement visiting web
site after website, downloading picture after picture of available,
desirable, naked women when his own wife is upstairs in bed?
Perhaps not so difficult to get our minds around.
Go back to where it all began. On the 6th day of Creation God
downloaded his best idea yet. Man, made in his image. He had
everything. The Bible says he was naked, nut just nude. He had
nothing to hide, no shame. Perfect intimacy with God, with the
woman, with nature. He had it all. How long he stayed in this state
we can only guess. He was without fault. Everything was perfect.
And then it came. Horatius Bonar said "all unbelief is the belief
of a lie.' Like the sound of leaking air, with the hiss of a
serpent the lie entered. Eat and you will be like God
(Genesis 3:8). But, wait a minute, they already were like God.
They were made in His image. Remember? No, Satan offered them one
better. They would BE God, knowing the difference between good and
evil, they could be arbitrators of their own lives. They would not
have to bring themselves to another, obey another. They would be
God. The woman was deceived. Adam wasn't. He understood what he was
doing. The battle was first fought in his mind. He weighed the
consequences. He had no idea what the consequences would turn out
to be. He had never turned this page before. Surely such a small
concession wouldn't trouble God so much.' Perhaps', he thought, 'I
could work this out with God later.' Act committed. Shame spreads.
Man falls. Run. Hide. God calls, speaks, curses, covers, and the
long trek back to fellowship with God begins.
And so we find ourselves today longing for the peace and intimacy
of Eden. To be naked before each other, in relationship, no sin
marring our view. To be accepted. To love as we are loved. To know
as we are known. We are offered a choice. To sit and gaze as
Narcissus did ever yearning for that which could not satisfy or to
stand boldly in God's presence putting ourselves under the
authority of the Word of God, living in obedience to the Lord who
knows the way we should take. To choose the right way is to
deliberately refuse the false intimacy this world offers.
A conservative estimate states that 60% of the world wide web
carries pornographic images. I have heard as much as 85%. Combine
this with the inner movie theater of the male psyche. The chance
of any of us remaining untouched by such issues is extremely
remote. But we need not despair. The God who made your mind offers
his help. Let Him speak into your life by means of the classic
Christian disciplines and you can walk in victory.
The Power of God is available to every man who seeks it. Move away
from the pool, stand firm in Christ and pursue His Power through
the inner, outward and corporate disciplines of the faith. The
inner disciplines include meditation on the Word of God, prayer,
fasting and personal Bible study. The outward disciplines include
simplicity of lifestyle, times of solitude, Godly submission, and
active Christian service. The corporate disciplines are composed
of daily confession, robust worship of God, pursuing God's guidance
for all of life's decisions, and the celebration of His presence
in the body of Christ. Over time these disciplines create a
lifestyle that blesses others and leads to a deeper understanding
of what it means to be a man made in the image of God.
I pray for a community of men in my church, and in your church
that can come alongside and champion the need for male purity and
biblical obedience. It is needed today more than ever. A.W.Tozer
once said, "What we think about when we are free is what we are or
soon will become."
- Dr. Warwick Cooper