Are We Learning from the Past?

"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 1 Cor. 10:11

Remember the old saying, "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it"? If there is anything that I have learned in my 34 years of life it's that I better learn from the past. Some of you may say, 'Well that's just good old common sense'...no, it's much better - it's biblical. When Paul penned these words to the church at Corinth it was for the purpose of reminding the believers that lust and idolatry go hand in hand. Earlier in the same chapter he encouraged them to not become idolaters as some of them nor to commit sexual immorality as some of them did and in one day 23,000 fell.

I know those numbers seem astonishing but is there any real difference today? Statistics prove that 40 million (that's million with an "m") U.S. adults struggle with pornography. I just came from the Drudge Report where I saw several news articles with the word "sex" in the title. Middle & High School kids, teachers, KFC workers, etc. The list is endless. And yet we have not learned the lessons that history has given us nor have we learned the lessons of God's Word.

Some of you may have wondered why I have a link on the rights side of the page for XXX Church. Well, to be quite honest with you it's because men and women in the church need to realize that out of that 40 million in America many "strugglers" are members and leaders within the body of Christ. And before we start condemning and scowling let us remember that temptation is the same across the board regardless of what the item may be. We have seen the affect that greed can have in our country (just look at Wall Street) and the object there was money. Think about the alcoholic, drug addict, etc.; these temptations all come from the same root cause: lust. And lust always lead to idolatry which always ends in destruction.

I share all of this with you as a person who has an accountability partner and who is an accountability partner. That's right folks...I'm a fellow struggler. I personally use the XWatch service to monitor my activity on the Internet and have a weekly email sent to someone who will ask me questions if they find anything that looks wrong. "But you are a pastor!" I know - why do you think I take such measures? I want to ensure that I am not weighed down by the sin which so easily ensnares us (Heb. 12:1).

As a nation we need to look at the example of Rome. Rome wasn't destroyed by an outward force. No, they were destroyed by an inward lust...and that lust turned into idolatry. They worshipped all things sexual and it destroyed them. Back up a little in history and you will find that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for this very same problem. The problem of lust which led to idolatry. When will our nation learn? When will our churches learn? There must be an opportunity within the local church to come clean. We need to offer support and prayer to those who struggle with all types of temptations. We need to ensure that they can have confidentiality and accountability from within the body. How will we ever see people set free by the truth if they don't feel that they can tell the truth?

The good news: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it." 1 Cor. 10:13

My prayer for all the "strugglers" out there is that we will know the joy of 1 Cor. 10:13 and the faithfulness of God to help us get out from under whatever temptation is holding us down.