Posted on 04/26/2014 7:45:04 AM PDT by EscondidoSurfer
The lives of many were rocked by the recent news that Bob Coy, founder and former pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale—a bourgeoning mega-church—stepped down because of a sexual scandal.
The reason for his doing so was described as “moral failure.” Sadly, sordid details including adultery and a longstanding pornography habit have also emerged.
The damage from this is great. Many must be asking, “If Bob Coy can’t figure this out, what hope is there for me?”
Bob Coy’s story shows that he had become a slave of lust.
Of course, few in the secular press or even in the Church choose to characterize him as a slave of lust. Instead....
(Excerpt) Read more at overcoming-lust.com ...
In my observations, political, religious and secular, so many people get in positions of power and then think rules don’t apply to them.
When I was in my early 20’s I occasionally worked in a bookstore in a small town and it had a large porn section, I was certainly scandalized that so many religious people came in and bought porn. It just shows how desperate they were because even though they stuck them between Time and Newsweek I had to see them!
Ego driven jerk pastors building empires. Yeah, that’s new.
I actually attended Pastor Coy’s church over 20 years ago. We have to be in constant prayer for pastors and their families. Satan loves to see them fall.
The pressure to sin on men in positions of power is immense. It requires a series of decisions, made early on, to not surrender. Yet, the panoply of sin is vast and our understanding is limited. We can commit to never commit adultry, never dip into the till, never lie, and on and on. There will always be sin we have not prepared to overcome that will trip us up. For this Christ offers forgiveness upon repentance.
Then there is the sin of which we are not guilty but for which we are none the less charged. This is the most terrible. It is the sin for which Christ went to the cross. That sin is one which requires our guiltless crucifixion. In this we are made one with Christ by sharing in his passion. It is the sin of the suffering servant who is shielded by the Father from the fangs of satan while suffering the slings and arrows of worldly malice.
It is also nothing new for the flock to not recognize ego driven personalities for what they are.
All of us are in peril, especially once we think we are not. Satan is still prowling about:
What is the saying? pride comes before the fall, it happens quite often with the big time Church leaders and it really is surprising that it don`t take a lot more of them than it does.
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
2. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 "I will build my Church. And the gates of Hell will NOT overcome it."
3. In Genesis 4:8, when Cain was angry, the Lord said to him " If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”. The imagery of Sin 'crouching at the door' has always stuck with me - how it's ready to pounce when we let our guard down.
4. Speaking of letting our guard down - what Paul says to the believers in Galations 6:1 "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." - Paul states clearly we are ALL susceptable to temptation - if we aren't careful.
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