Pastor Lloyd

The baptism and fellowship time in the ocean on Sunday was amazing, though I am still sore from playing football :-)
Reminded me of when we did the regional BBQs and new people felt like they got connected.  
It was an interesting experience baptizing in only 18 inches of water due to the low tide but it was one of the most mild ones we have ever had in the ocean- no- it was THE most mild one. 
Blessings to all of you who participated and lets continue to pray for all the new believers!  
Lloyd

We are receiving great reports about what God is doing in and through our team in Nicaragua.  This just in:

Lots of opportunities to share the love of Jesus everywhere they went. In the morning they did a large outreach in the barrio, with about 300. One of the highlights was a a volleyball tournament—NJ Boys vs Nica Girls—the girls creamed them…It was a humbling defeat  :)

The team divided in the afternoon. Some went to visit another missionary Jamil and work with him. The rest went back to the children’s cancer hospital. They were able to visit the children in their hospital rooms and pray with many of their families both inside and outside the hospital. They were also able to distribute lots of the supplies that were donated by the CCOB body while they were there. It is such a privilege to be able to give one of those children something as simple as a coloring book and crayons. It lights up their faces.  They also gave Lincoln the eyeglasses that were donated and he’s been able to bless many of the mothers with new glasses.

Later, they brought some of Lincolns kids back to the hotel for a spaghetti dinner and pool party. They had a time of worship and sharing. It was a blessing.

He said this has probably been the best trip yet and they still have so much more to do. They are so grateful for all your prayers and support and wanted me to let Jon and Jeff know the team is praying for their families too.

Pray for Pastor Chris McCarrick as he hurt his back and asked, since we we have Gayle Erwin tonight at Calvary Old Bridge, if I would fill in. Looking forward to fellowshipping with the folks there. Come on out if you are in the area and if near Old Bridge don’t miss Gayle!!

A question came in to me that I reworded and changed names to protect any identities but I felt that the nature of this issues is important to address.

Hi Pastor Pulley,

My friend is getting married and I am in his wedding. He was planning to have an event after the rehearsal dinner for the guys and though it was told me that they were going to watch a decent movie together I got wind that there may be some other risqué goings on influenced by his other friends.   I told him i think I will go home and turn in early in preparation for his big day tomorrow.

I got the strong impression in our conversation that he would be having strippers over, or a lot of drinking. I think I made the right decision in not going. Do you have any advice for me or anything that might help with confirmation?

Also a close family member even told me to go because thinks they think that i need to go and try different things, and have different experiences while I’m young and that a bachelors party is just what people do.

I value your opinion, as you can imagine its a back and forth battle in my head. As of now I have decided to not go and actually I’m about to go to sleep in prep for the wedding. At first I did not want to feel like I’m missing out, but then when I think about what I’m probably missing out on, it seems that it might not be so bad to miss out, if missing out will honor God.

So i guess the real issue is does it honor God to go to bachelor’s party if you have the sense that there will be strippers? Because once there it will be hard not to lust, and your flesh will want to participate.

My Answer: 

Great Move Jim!!

2Co 6:17* Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

1Sa 2:30 … those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. ….

The opposite of holy is common. The very fact everybody does it is the very reason you, who are called of the Lord, should stay clear of it because you are His own.

Even Newsweek magazine, as liberal as they are, featured this week a book review of The Pornification of a Generation by Kevin Scott revealing 90% of teen boys have seen filth that adults have never seen and what it is doing to the American male. When the world thinks this nonsense has gone too far how much more should we his people?

http://www.newsweek.com/2008/10/07/the-pornification-of-a-generation.html

So good move!

At the same time it is not unusual to feel a sense of loss and feeling all alone when you do make the right decision.

I recall a time I was sorely tempted as a young believer in college with a beautiful girl near my dorm and she invited me in to her place and I had perfect opportunity to be with her.  I waked away by the strength of the Lord but when I saw her with another guy the next day, part of me was torn as the enemy was chiding me and mocking me as to what I missed out on. Now I have no regrets!

Though our hearts are the Lords, our flesh is still very much attracted to this world but we must honor the Lord and He will indeed honor us.

Lloyd

I used this quote in tonight’s message.

Challenge yourself with what Dr. Carson has to say here

“One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform. In the grace of God, sometimes human beings display such virtues. But where such virtues are absent, the drift is invariably toward compromise, comfort, indiscipline, sliding disobedience, and decay that advances, sometimes at a crawl and sometimes at a gallop, across generations.

People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

The pastor of a large congregation in Jerusalem is sharing about their work there. King of kings congregation pastored by Wayne Hilsden

At a gathering of folks focused on the Epicenter conference in Philadelphia

Pray for the Lord to encourage and challenge those attending over next few days

Met General “Jerry” Boykin and heard from Joel Rosenberg and his team.

Anticipating a great weekend from hearing a bit of what’s to come