Planned Parenthood business Posted on July 30, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church Planned Parenthood’s business? Psalm 139:15&16 If you have been staying up on current events, you are aware of the videos that are coming to light on Planned Parenthood’s business of selling body parts of aborted fetuses. They claim that they are within the law and are not doing this for profit. What has been uncovered sure sounds like a profit making venture. Regardless, what shocked me is the attitude of those on video as they discuss the precious body parts of developing human life. We are not talking “tissue”, but livers, hearts, etc! Whatever your political position on abortion, I think it would take a very callous person not to be broken over what is being done! I confess that this issue of un-born life has not been on my radar for a long time. The issue affects me deeply for reasons I cannot share. As a pastor, I must speak out and say that we need to be praying for our nation, the many millions of women who have deep scares over choices to terminate life, and for our leaders to take a position that truly reflects a Judeo-Christian world view. We are living in a different era with advanced technology that can reveal the developing life within the womb. We can have a first-hand look at what the Psalmist so eloquently describes as God forming his life in the womb. Can a culture like ours become so broken over the de-valuation of human life that there would be so few abortions to drive that industry into oblivion? I am going to step up my prayers for a genuine revival for life! It must start with repentance. I hope these revelations will convict our culture of the callousness for unborn life. “Lord, forgive me for not praying and beseeching your power to transform our culture as it relates to this issue. I pray that you will heal the emotional, physical and spiritual scares of those who have traveled down the road of abortion. I pray for those who are involved in this industry. They are not my enemies. They are people blinded by a world view that does not take into account the sacredness of human life. Have mercy on them and may the people of God show restraint in expressing anger towards these people and have the courage to share the love of Christ. Forgive us Lord and move in the midst of our culture for your Kingdom’s sake, amen,” Pastor Fred Connect with me * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name
Called to Convert? Posted on January 21, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church Called to Convert? Does God call us to convert people into Christians? Is there a difference between persuasion and conversion? The author and pastor John R.W. Stott wrote years ago that evangelism must be preceded by dialogue. Most of us are not salespeople. If we feel that God wants us to sell Him to those outside our faith, we will most likely back off. I remember having a pastor come to my house to recruit me for his church. He bragged about how many people came to Christ through his ministry. He actually pulled out his Bible and showed me his “scalp belt”. No kidding! If I showed you my belt after forty three years of walking with Jesus, you might think I am a loser! I have a really hard time engaging in “evangelism” if it is all about numbers and not people. The times that God has given me to help people find Jesus, it had more to do with dialogue and building a genuine relationship than trying to convert them. I have come to the conclusion that we do not covert people! That is God’s business. As the Apostle Peter mentions in the verses of the week, we are to help guide others seeking by answering their questions and providing a Christ like example to them. If by God’s timing someone is ready to make a step of faith, we should be prepared to pray with them and lead them to receive Jesus. The series; World Views, is designed to help us understand our own view of the world and how those outside of Christ see the world. Having a respectful dialogue with others can provide us with insight on how they see reality and how they perceive our view of the world. It gives us the opportunity to define terms and explain perspectives. My contention is that a large percentage of people outside of Christ have a tarnished view of the faith. Hopefully, we can step in and share our story and provide clear answers to people’s questions. But it is more than an intellectual and relational process. The real issue for every person on this planet is the deep spiritual longings that only God the Creator can meet. One unique aspect of the Christian world view is that the future is now present in Jesus. Through His coming into this world and going to the Father, He has poured out the Holy Spirit and is able to meet everyone’s deepest longings. My prayer is that we at Eagle Rock Covenant can be a conduit for hungry people to find God’s amazing life in Jesus. Subscribe to our mailing list for weekly Blogs & events * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name
