Spritual Warfare #26

It's good to be back. Greg and I attended the Awaken 2008 conference in Pasadena. It was more than amazing. We got lots of confirmations about things. The conference was basically broken down into three topics: Leadership, Evangelism, and Culture. Check out the website. There were amazing speakers there. Greg had lunch with Erwin McManus. I was able to meet Erwin McManus, Wayne Cordeiro, Dr. Henry Cloud, and Phil Cooke as well as get my books signed by them. Phil Cooke is in the entertainment industry and just did a project in Turlock for a local church. (He couldn't remember which one). Wayne Cordeiro is the nicest person you'd ever want to meet. He was a Four Square guy. He and Greg knew some of the same people. Anyway, it was fabulous and we're planning on going next year as well.

Back to Compromise by Charles Stanley
Compromise Defined
What are the areas in which we compromise the most?
Morality We know what is right, but we ignore the truth for fear of not having our needs met. We may also be afraid that if we stand for what we believe, we will face rejection.

Principles Often when people are on the verge of compromise, they will ease up on their devotion to God. They say, "I've been busy every Sunday and just have not been able to go to church." Going to church will not assure us a position in God's kingdom. We are saved by faith, but a lack of desire to be in His house usually indicates that something is wrong-out of balance and the first step to failure.

Doctrinal Beliefs. When we compromise our convictions, fail to spend time with the Lord in prayer and the study of His Word, we are bound to end up hedging on our doctrinal views.

Parenting. Parents who begin to slip in their devotion to God rarely have the right tools to teach children how to walk wisely. If you are involved in a sinful situation, you will not be able to think clearly about what your children are doing. Beyond this, there is a natural temptation to compromise on certain things, such as what you allow them to watch, listen to, and do.
Some parents may think, Five minutes won't hurt them. However, those five minutes could lead to a lifetime of trouble and heartache.

Dress. What we wear and what we allow our children to wear are choices we must make that have tremendous potential for good or evil. If your heart is set on Christ, you will want to be like Him in all that you do, wear, and say.

Music. It is interesting to me that many Christians separate what they do in church on Sunday from what they do during the week.
Living the Christian life requires a lifestyle change that affects every area.
God created all things for us to enjoy; nevertheless, there is a line that He does not want us to cross. Music touches the deepest part of our being. Remember, He created it so that we could worship Him.

Conversation. The author of Proverbs wrote, "When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable" (Prov. 10:19) He also reminded us, "The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, / And they go down into the innermost parts of the body" (Prov. 18:8).

Tomorrow we'll look at compromise in the area of Marriage. There is a lot to show so this is a good stopping point.

I'm happy to say my daughter is very sensitive to the area of compromise, especially in dress, music, and speech. Though she goes to a Christian school, she is appalled at the way some of the girls in her class don't filter out books and music with bad messages. They compromise by rebelling against authority, by talking about 'sneaking' electronics on field trips, etc. You would think using the word 'sneak' would be a red flag to them, but it's not. I pray these girls make a turn, and quickly, before these compromises lead to really devastating life choices.

The teen years are hard enough, without dabbling in dangerous landmines. If you have teens, talk with them. The best choices are pre-choices. Deciding what to do if they are in a situation prevents them from having to make spur of the moment choices in the heat of the moment, and making the wrong choice. Have a great Friday!