WesleyGospel Ministries

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
–Romans 7:13 (KJV)–

When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
–Numbers 25:7-8 (KJV)–

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
–Revelation 17:4-5 (KJV)–

They will not set their thoughts to return to their God:
for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them,
and they have not known the Lord.
–Hosea 5:4 (DRB)–

He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap.
–Malachi 3:2 (NKJV)–

Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
–Hebrews 1:9 (KJV)–

How does the preacher go about this? I’m still working on it. And since it’s right around Valentine’s Day, my wife and I plan to do a podcast really soon on which WORDS are appropriate to use in sermons against sexual sin. The recent Mike Bickle report by the Firefly firm should be seen as a wake up call to the body of Christ. To WAKE UP to the need for preaching sermons AGAINST sexual sin, to HATE that sin, and to LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS. David Wilkerson’s sermon “Wild Donkeys” is a perfect example of this type of preaching that’s so desperately needed today. The old fundamentalist belief was that if there was enough strong preaching on sexual sin and Hell, then it would produce personal revival, spiritual deliverance, and transfer to the affections of the listeners A HATRED OF FORNICATION, so they would fear the reproach, damnation, and wave of destruction that such a sin causes. It should be highlighted and absolutely preached against as one of the most abominable transgressions, because it’s without question the most seductive and destructive influence on the family unit.

Let’s say a preacher is burdened and ready to go. Now what? Well watch your mouth preacher! Slang words don’t glorify the Lord, neither does depicting pornographic scenes into the minds of your listeners. The preacher’s job is not to preach erotic sermons, but to make sexual sin appear for what it is: a debasing, defiling, disgusting, family destroying force empowered by the devil himself.

Finding the right words, and excluding the wrong words is half the battle, and I’ll be closely examining Dr. John R. Rice’s Adultery and Sex Perversion and Why Preach Against Sin? to find the right words and try to do this with excellence. –J.B.

“The Dance–Child of the Brothel,
Sister of Gambling and Drunkenness, Mother of Lust–Road to Hell!”

“Diseased, Decaying Bodies with Undying Maggots
and Unquenched Fire in Hell”
–Dr. John R. Rice–

Originally from here.

Firefly, a Pennsylvania company with law enforcement expertise, said 210 people were interviewed during its 4 1⁄2-month investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct at IHOPKC and cover-up by its leaders. Every survivor and witness included in the report came forward voluntarily to share their stories, it said. In addition to the allegations against Bickle, the report said the investigation turned up 16 cases of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated by people associated with IHOPKC but not directly related to Bickle. “These findings highlight a broader issue within the organization that requires immediate attention and action,” it said.

Among the investigation’s findings:

▪ Bickle used prophetic language to speak to victims, isolated them from others, bought them gifts, visited them in church-supplied apartments where they lived, frequently touched and kissed them and created circumstances in which they would see him undressed and aroused.

▪ Abuse was allowed to persist unchecked, often with perpetrators being protected rather than held accountable.

▪ Many victims were subjected to “Matthew 18” meetings, a reference to a conflict resolution procedure laid out in the Gospel of Matthew. In those meetings, the victims “were pressured into face-to-face confrontations with their accusers to determine who was lying.” “These meetings not only compounded the emotional distress of the victims but also undermined the integrity of the investigation process,” the report said. “Many victims felt intimidated and coerced, which led to further trauma and a sense of injustice. As a result, the credibility of the testimonies collected during these meetings was compromised.”

▪ Bickle committed spiritual, emotional and sexual abuse starting as early as the 1970s, grooming and developing inappropriate relationships with women “while using ‘Matthew 18 Meetings’ to conceal, minimize, and silence victims of sexual abuse within the church.”

▪ Bickle and IHOPKC’s Executive Leadership Team downplayed reports of sexual abuse, forced victims to confront their offenders and discouraged them from going to law enforcement authorities. “Their actions, or lack thereof, contributed to an environment where victims felt unsupported and vulnerable,” the report said. “This indifference not only exacerbated the trauma experienced by the victims but also allowed the perpetrators to evade accountability and continue their misconduct.”

▪ Instead of being supported, staff members who reported sexual abuse of others to their supervisors often faced retaliation, such as being transferred to other positions or having their work hours reduced. Firefly said it reviewed more than 6,000 documents directly related to the case, and a Firefly representative visited IHOPKC to observe worship and praise activities.

I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected, 1. That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real, Scriptural Christians; and, 2. that the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost; but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all as either madness or imposture. –John Wesley, Journal, August 15, 1750

Originally from here.

Adam is infamous for being the first prodigal son. He tragically left his Father’s care to serve sin. There’s a famous song from the 1960s that sums up the Genesis Fall:

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

Adam had a paradise, and he didn’t know what he had until it was gone. We can’t imagine his emotions as he stood banished from Eden, clothed in animal skins to cover his shame, with sweat beginning to form on his sinful brow.

And so it was with the prodigal son of whom Jesus spoke. He didn’t know what he had until it was gone—until he gazed with desire at the filthy pig food at his feet:

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’” (Luke 15:17-19)

Years ago, I created a unique bird aviary that housed a dozen or so tame birds. It was unique because I had placed reflective film on the outside of our living room window and housed the birds in a caged-in area. This meant that we could watch them up close and personal without them knowing we were there. On one side, all they could see was mirrored glass. On the other side, they could see trees and the vast blue sky. Many wild birds would fly down, eat the seed we placed on a shelf, and then fly off into the freedom of the heavens. I would often wonder if the confined birds looked at the wild birds and longed to be free.

“The Christian home isn’t a restricted prison. It’s a wonderful and loving protection.”

One day, my question was answered when I suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream from a tiny wild bird. It was held in the clutches of a hawk and felt the sharpness of its beak rip into its tender flesh. I was horrified and ran outside to try and somehow rescue the poor bird. But, by the time I made it to the aviary, the hawk had flown up to the heavens with its doomed captive still in its grip.

I wasn’t the only one who had witnessed that horror. Each one of our tamed birds had heard that terrible scream. If they had in the past seen their cage as a horrible prison, I’m sure on that day they saw it as a wonderful protection.

No doubt, many a teenager in a Christian home has been dismayed that his parents confined him to a prison with endless rules, from restrictions on his music and phone to lectures about dating and sex before marriage—not to mention warnings about recreational drugs, no wild parties, no being alone with the opposite sex, no modern movies, etc.

But, as the years pass, he looks to where his unrestricted peers are now in life. That’s when he sees the results of the cruel grip of the adversary’s claws. He sees his secular friends have endured the pains that come with alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, gang-related activities, criminal behavior, divorces, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, and the tragedy of premature deaths.

It was G. K. Chesterton who said, “Don’t remove a fence until you know why it was put up in the first place.” The Christian home isn’t a restricted prison. It’s a wonderful and loving protection.