5 Questions with Gary Haugen.

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is Gary Haugen. Gary serves as President and CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM), an international human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression worldwide. Before founding International Justice Mission in 1997, Haugen served as a senior trial attorney with the Police Misconduct Task Force of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1994, Haugen was detailed from the U.S. Department of Justice to the United Nations’ Center for Human Rights, where he served as officer-in-charge of the U.N.’s genocide investigation in Rwanda. Haugen is the 2007 recipient of Prison Fellowship’s annual William Wilberforce Award, recognizing an individual who has made a difference in the face of formidable societal problems and injustices. Haugen and the work of IJM have been featured on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dateline NBC, FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, National Public Radio, Forbes magazine, The Washington Post and The New York Times, among many other outlets.

And now let's get to the interview:

Hi Gary,

Question 1: What one word would describe your current relationship with God?

Peace

Question 2: What led you to found the International Justice Mission (IJM)?

I wanted to empower fellow Christians to love their neighbors (in very practical ways) who are suffering under violent abuse and oppression. I sensed they wanted to help – but didn’t know it was possible – or how to do it.

Question 3: Why should Christians get involved in helping IJM?

Because there is indescribable joy in being used of God to bring real, life-transforming rescue to those who are in desperate need of justice. Who doesn’t want to experience God’s heroic love poured out through them?

Question 4: International Justice Mission starts every day in prayer. How important is prayer to the work of IJM?

How important is it to the lamp that it stays plugged into its power source? Not much good for very long without it. Not even much of a lamp actually. The work of Justice is God’s work. I couldn’t imagine doing it without talking to Him about it.

Question 5: What can we do? Not everyone can go overseas so how can the "average believer" help those caught in slavery, sexual exploitation, etc?

Pray for those who are being abused – pray for them the way you would if they were one of your own family. Which means getting to know them as family (and IJM can help you do that). Next, send someone who can go overseas and bring help – and then pray for those rescuers as if they were in your own family. IJM can help with that, too. Finally, invite those in your family (and those who are like family) to join you in the fight. Do those three things and God will do very large things – larger than you could have thought or imagined.

Thank you Gary.

There you have it. I would encourage you to check out the IJM Website and to get involved today!

To see past 5 Question guests, check out the rotating interview links on the sidebar.

Just Courage/IJM

"There must be more to the Christian life than this--more than church each Sunday and waving to my neighbors and giving some clothes to Goodwill when I go through my closet each spring."

With this premise, Just Courage takes you on a challenging and engaging journey of adventure. I came across this little book while reading Anne Jackson's blog last year. When I ordered the book, I was not prepared to be challenged to do something more in the area of justice. Reading the stories set forth by author Gary Haugen I became more aware of sex trafficking, modern day slavery and a host of other issues. As a Christian, I felt like I could not ignore the issue now that I was aware of the extent of injustice. Gary kept me on the edge of my seat with story after story from the front line battlefield!

This led me to research Gary's organization, The International Justice Mission.

The International Justice Mission (IJM) is a human rights agency that seeks to secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. The IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. With offices in the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, there is an office close to where you live.

The book was an incredible eye opener to an issue I had not been fully aware of. Gary lists further resources at the back of the book. One of those was the IJM website. You need to check that out. If all you do is sign up for the prayer bulletin and PRAY, you will be helping out in a tremendous way. However, there are a host of ways to get involved.

Sex trafficking is real! Modern day slavery still happens. Please, order this book. Visit the website and let the Lord stir your heart with compassion.

Would You Pray?

I am exhausted. My family and I have just gotten through, and/or are in the midst of, a battle with chest colds.

Physically we all seem to be battling different ailments, pain, etc.

We are tired...so tired.

Yet God is moving. Ministry wise, things are exploding. We are seeing God move in our public and personal ministry times. As a family, we are taking times to rest and connect and just play together. It just seems like the spiritual/physical battles have been a huge distraction of late.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

The Bible calls us to pray for one another. So I have to ask, would you pray for us? Now don't say Yes unless you mean it. I would rather you not pray, then to say you will and never do.

I also would like to pray for you. So please, let me know how I can cover you in prayer. Let's lift each other up before the throne of God!

5 Questions with Vernon Wells

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is Vernon Wells. Vernon is a Major League Baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he is the starting center fielder. Wells has appeared on two All-Star teams in his career, been awarded three Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger Award. Vernon has been married for seven years to his high school sweetheart. He has two sons, ages 6 and 3.

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

Hi Vernon,

Question 1: What one word would describe your current relationship with God?

Reliable.

Question 2: Your organization, the Perfect10 Foundation, seeks to support and protect children in need. What was the catalyst for your involvement with this kind of work?

My wife and I have always tried to be a blessing in the lives of many. In the off season of 2007, we had a chance to shop for some less fortunate children n the DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) area. That experience forever changed our focus in life. Those kids were the inspiration for our Perfect 10 Foundation.

Question 3: Your Foundation's focus on kids uses the acronym Perfect: Protecting, Encouraging, Respecting, Fostering, Embracing, Cheering and Treasuring. How do the children and their families respond to this?

The response we have gotten has been tremendous! This foundation was setup to break the strongholds in peoples lives and that is a blessing for both them and us.

Question 4: How do you balance family and baseball?

Balancing family and baseball is difficult. People don't realize how long we are away from our loved ones. The key for me is to keep my family first, no matter what!

Question 5: How hard is it to be a Christian witness in competitive sports?

Being a Christian witness in sports is a challenge. Baseball is a game of failure and with that comes frustration. The best way for me to show Christian values is how I handle those rough times. No matter how badly things are going, He is always there with me and that's all that matters.

Thank you Vernon for the interview.

Be Blessed!

There you have it. I would encourage you to check out Vernon's website where you can find out more info about him. You should also look at the Perfect 10 Foundation site.

To see past 5 Question guests, check out the rotating interview links on the sidebar.

Grand Ole Opry Flooded

Okay: confession time! This may lose me some readers, but, I love country music. More to the fact, I love old time country music. So it was of major interest to me that the Grand Ole Opry was deluged during the recent floods in Nashville.

The backstage area, dressing rooms, etc..., were soaked with over 2 feet of water. You can read more in the USA Today story:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-05-10-opry10_ST_N.htm

Living in TN, I remember we used to have a saying after church. It went something like, "We'll see you next Sunday, Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise." (Creek was pronounced crick) I remember one Sunday the creek actually rose and I was wading to the church to make sure no damage had been done.

This story piqued my interest because numerous music stars mentioned their concern for instruments, costumes, etc... I started thinking about our treasures. I was reminded of Luke 12:34 which says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Now don't get me wrong. I am not condemning people who are concerned about their belongings during a flood. I would be somewhat concerned for my things as well.

However, I have experienced the massive loss of belongings more than once. From losing everything piece by piece, to mice and mold destroying them, I know what it is to lose stuff. In the end I also realized...it's JUST stuff. What is important, is my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus, living in me, gives me more of a concern for people rather than possessions. If I lose a couple boxes of childhood mementos, is that more important than the child across the street with an empty belly or the person who is dying from cancer down the road? No. It's just stuff.

What is important is Jesus Christ in our hearts and our living that out into the world around us.

5 Questions With Dave Blundell

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is author and Ministry leader, Dave Blundell. Dave is a former Youth Pastor. After being ordained in 1998, he served at the Chilliwack Alliance Church until 2000 in the areas of Youth & Young Adults, Adult Education, Missions and Worship. In 2000, Dave transitioned out of church ministry when he started work as the Director of Global Operations for Global Aid Network (GAiN), the humanitarian arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada. In this role he led relief and development projects in various countries in South America, Africa, Central & South East Asia, and the Middle East. In 2003, Dave left the Global Aid Network to begin Hungry For Life International. Dave also has a Masters of Arts in Leadership and International Development at Trinity Western University. Dave was married to Heidi in 1997 and has two children, Caleb (1998) and Abby (1999).

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

Hi Dave,

Question 1: What one word would describe your current relationship with God?

Intimate.

Question 2: Who do you want to read Hungry For Life? Why?

Firstly, those who are influencers within local churches (Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Unofficial) and secondly, those who are passionate about revival of the Church and renovation of the world. I believe that local church, however its defined, is still God’s primary vehicle for His grace and power. However, I also believe that North American local churches are currently not reflective of the Founder. Therefore, if those who are called to lead the local church (both officially and unofficially) experience the power and presence of Jesus, we will see resulting transformation of values and actions in their churches.

Question 3: What makes the vision and content of Hungry For Life different than other books
on social justice and/or world missions?

Many books on social justice and mission focus on changing behaviour often without dealing with the conditions that lead to behaviour. Everyone knows there is great need in the world…and almost everyone knows that the Church should be doing more. But…few are offering solutions that both address the spiritual poverty that exists in the majority of Western churches, that causes injustice, and then the resulting personal and corporate actions that address physical poverty in the developing world.

Question 4: What is the one thing you’d most like readers to take away from the message of
Hungry For Life?

Personal and corporate transformation that results in global social transformation.

Question 5: Hungry For Life is also the name of the organization you work with. How does
Hungry For Life, the organization, partner with local churches to have a targeted,
long-term global impact?

Hungry For Life’s model of international ministry reverses the typical para-church interaction with local churches. Instead of approaching local churches asking for their people and money for “our” projects, we assist local churches to invest their money and people in “their” projects in a way that 100% of project funds go to international compassionate needs. Hungry For Life comes along side of local churches and serves them with the following to experience both motivation (spiritual transformation) and mobilization (social transformation):

• · Worship and prayer ministries
• · Missions focusing consultation with local church leadership
• · International needs assessment and project design
• · International project management and monitoring (reporting and evaluation)
• · Full service short term teams program
• · Humanitarian aid
• · International development and cross-cultural leadership and communication training

Thank you so much Dave.

There you have it. I would encourage you to check out Dave' s blog, the Hungry For Life Website and by all means pick up a copy of the book, Hungry For Life, today.

To see past 5 Question guests, check out the rotating interview links on the sidebar.

Hungry For Life

I have never been a fan of anti-poverty books. This is not because I don't care about the issue; I do. (I work for the Salvation Army, after all!) The reason I have never cared for these types of books is because the authors often take a Scripture out of context, and run with it to prove their opinions.

Not so with Hungry For Life by Dave Blundell. I was pleasantly surprised upon reading this book to find Dave doesn't like it when people do this either. He gives a Scripture and then backtracks trough the Biblical chapter/book, to explain the setting and audience.

That is just one of things that excited and challenged me about Hungry For Life. Without hammering stat after stat, Dave engages the reader in a way that makes one see the problem of poverty is not just a social issue but a spiritual one. Instead of just trying to see behaviors changed, Dave looks at the heart issue of the body of Christ as well.

Dave seeks to help us understand the Scripture in a fresh way as he brings it into our modern focus. When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, I found myself wondering if He could say the same thing to today's Spiritual Leaders, myself included. I didn't like the answer I came up with.

I found myself examining my own walk with the Lord as Dave expressed that a revival of the heart is truly needed to see the church get out into the street and live out their faith. That to me is the bottom line. Are we living our faith or are we just tossing a few coins at the "problem" to assuage our own guilt? Dave asks and answers that question.

WARNING - IF YOU READ THIS BOOK YOU WILL BE CHALLENGED!

So having said that, you need to read this book. Pick up a copy today and check out the Hungry For Life website as well!

"Book has been provided courtesy of the author and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favorite bookseller."

5 Questions with Andrew Farley

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is Andrew Farley. Lead teaching pastor of Ecclesia (ChurchWithoutReligion.com), Andrew us also a co-host of “Real Life in Christ,” a television program that challenges many long-held notions about Christian living. “Real Life in Christ” airs every Wednesday morning on ABC-TV in west Texas and New Mexico. Andrew is also a tenured professor at Texas Tech University where he teaches courses in linguistics and an Honors course titled “Early Church and Contemporary Christianity in Conflict.” Andrew enjoys snowboarding, wake boarding, surfing, tennis, golf, and just about any other sideways sport. He resides in west Texas with his wife, Katharine, and their son, Gavin.

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear in Church (an Interview with Andrew Farley)

Hi Andrew,

Question 1: Can you explain your book, The Naked Gospel, in a nutshell?

Andrew: Yeah, I found myself lying on the floor of my apartment, begging God for answers. I was saying, "God, I'm doing everything they say to do. I'm reading my Bible four or five hours a day. I'm sharing my faith with everybody I meet. I'm at church every time the doors are open. But I still don't feel like I'm growing spiritually. I'm stalled, and I can't explain why. You say the truth will set me free. I'm anything but free!"

I needed God to start all over with me, and He did. Although I was already a Christian, my belief system was poisoned with religiosity. Over the next ten years, I began replacing old thoughts with new thoughts. And it changed everything for me.

Back then, if I were honest and vulnerable, my sales pitch would have been, "Would you like to become a Christian and be miserable like me?" But today I'd wish my Christian experience on everyone. I've learned some radical, Scriptural truths that were right there in the Bible, that I never knew existed. That's why I wrote the book - to share with others the radical truths that absolutely revolutionized my life.

The Naked Gospel serves as an intravenous shot of unadulterated truth that will stir us and perhaps even rattle some of us into considering how we've added to the gospel and hindered the pure power of "Jesus plus nothing" in our everyday lives.

Question 2: You tackle issues which would be considered almost sacred and untouchable to some churches. Have you received much negative feedback?

Andrew: When some hear they can be free from religion and only need Jesus for daily living, they call the idea "naive." When some hear that Christians are totally forgiven for all sins - past, present, and future - no matter what, they actually get mad. They call that one a "license to sin."

I call it the Gospel. If you're not being falsely accused of promoting a "license to sin" then you're probably not teaching the Gospel. The Apostle Paul was falsely accused of speaking out against Moses and the law. He also had to constantly answer this one: "Well, then, why don't we just go out and sin so that grace can increase?"

We Christians should be accused of these things on a regular basis. Otherwise, I'm afraid we're peddling a powerless gospel of "Jesus plus something."

So far, The Naked Gospel has received one of two reactions - people love it or hate it. I've been called names. Because of my treatment on tithing versus free-will giving, I've been told the book will harm America's churches.

But I've also heard lots of people say things like, "it totally changed my life," and "I'll never be the same again."

It's no fun to be accused, but it's very rewarding to see people go free. It appears that some may speak out against the book. But it also appears that the book will free lots of people to enjoy the simple, powerful message of "Jesus Plus Nothing."

And that's what it's all about.

Question 3: This book is about the old way of Jewish Law and God's New Covenant of grace. How receptive are most people when you broach the subject?

Andrew: Yes, the core of the book is about a Great Divide at the cross between the old way of the Law and the new way of the New Covenant. And this is the subject that seems to be most controversial about the book.

Primarily, Christians fall into two categories of thinking about the Law. Once view is that the Mosaic Law, or a select part of it, is needed as a moral guideline for the Christian's daily life. The other view is that the Christian should have no relationship with the Law after salvation and that the indwelling Christ, the fruit of His Spirit (love, patience, self-control, etc.), and New Testament behavior verses are sufficient to guide a Christian's daily life.

Only one of these two views can possibly be Scriptural, and the other view should not find any support at all. In fact, the inaccurate view should require a "re-writing" of Scripture.

Here are just a few Scriptural facts concerning the Christian's relationship to the Law:

1. We Christians died to the Law. (Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:19)
2. We Christians are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:18; Romans 6:14)
3. We Christians are not supervised by the Law. (Galatians 3:25)
4. We Christians are not perfected by the Law. (Galatians 3:2-3)
5. We Christians shouldn't even live by rules. (Colossians 2:20-23)

Now, based on the passages above, what kind of relationship do you think we Christians should have with the Law? To claim that the Law is intended to guide a Christian's daily life requires a rewriting of Scripture. Essentially, it requires taking all of the above passages and adding the phrase n"for salvation only" to each one. Examples of this rewriting of Scripture would be: 'we died to the law for salvation only," "we are not under the Law for salvation only," etc. These theological gymnastics simply display our lack of confidence in Jesus for every ounce of daily living.

Immorality is not a concern if we depend on the indwelling Christ for our daily lives. Jesus is not passive. Jesus in us is not passive. We are told very clearly of the life He will produce: love, patience, gentleness, self-control, etc. And Romans 7 speaks of our death to the Law, our marriage to Jesus, and our reliance on Him for bearing fruit on a daily basis:

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Romans 7:4)

How do we bear fruit? Through our death to the Law. How do we bear fruit? Through our marriage to Jesus Christ. Why cheat on Jesus when He will produce the upright living that being under Law never could? So if having no relationship with the Law and depending exclusively on Jesus for daily living is naive and absurd, I am privileged to be naive and honored to be absurd.

Question 4: Why do you think so many of us are not walking in our identity?

Andrew: The gospel needs to be taught in its fullness. Right now, it feels like we're peddling a half-gospel that promises forgiveness of some sort (Catholic-style: only if you ask for it), a new destination some day (Heaven), and some self-improvement tactics along the way. My
hope is that we'll learn more about the reality of what it means to be raised and seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:6) as new creations that don't really want to sin. Then, we can stop thinking we have "wicked hearts" and that we're "dirty sinners like everyone else."

We have new hearts, new minds, new spirits, and God's Spirit living in us (Ezekiel 36:26). We're not sinners by nature. We're saints! Yes, we sin. But we are not what we do. That's the whole point of the gospel. Through a spiritual DNA swap, we literally and actually become new at the core. We participate in God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

But it's hard for us to buy into all of this, because it came to us a gift. We want to believe we play a role in deserving it. But when God gives us a gift (in the case, the gift new life and righteousness), here's what we should do with it: Own it.

Question 5: What would be your prayer for the Body of Christ as a whole?

Andrew: There's one truth that seems to be clearing up a whole lot for people who struggle with performance-oriented Christianity. It involves drawing a line at the proper place as we distinguish the Old way of Jewish religion from the New way of grace through Jesus. In my teaching, I constantly highlight this Great Divide.

Here's the point. It's not baby Jesus lying in the manger in Matthew 1 that changed everything for us. But with our "New Testament" divider page placed before Matthew 1, we can lose sight of the fact that Jesus' death, not His birth, initiated the New Testament era (see Hebrews 9:16-17). Therefore, Jesus was born under law. And much of Jesus' teaching was aimed at redeeming those who were under law (Galatians 4:4-5). He told them to gouge out their eyes and cut off their hands in their fight against sin. He also said to be perfect just like God. Pretty high standards, I think. If we Christians were truly following those teachings, and not watering them down or dismissing them, today's churches would look much like an amputation ward at the local hospital.

Instead, we recognize on some level that Jesus was placing demands on His Jewish listeners that were just too great. We see this with the Sermon on the Mount, and with the rich man too. Jesus told him to sell everything. Sell everything, really? Yes, Jesus said to sell everything in order to enter the Kingdom. But today, we don't preach this. You'll never see an evangelist telling people to go home and list all their belongings on eBay in order to enter the Kingdom. Why not? Those are Jesus' own words, aren't they?

On some level, we see that Jesus' death, not His birth in Matthew 1 changed everything for us. There are sweeping implications of this dividing line for how we study the Bible - the teachings of Jesus - and how we relate to God and live life. I believe the truth of the New Covenant beginning at Jesus' death (not His birth) as communicated in Hebrews 9:16-17 and Galatians 4:4-5 is largely neglected today. This neglect has led us to a confusing law-grace hybrid that we've excepted as the norm.

We need to get back to normal Christianity, which is life lived exclusively under the New Covenant. It is a life motivated by grace through God's indwelling Spirit. And it is a beautiful life. I attended numerous churches for more than a decade before I ever heard one single message on the New Covenant. We as the Church need to realize how different the New is from the Old, and what makes our relationship with God so incredible on this side of the cross.

This is my prayer for the Body of Christ.

Thank you so much Andrew for this in depth interview.

Andrew: Thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate you, and the privilege of being interviewed.

There you have it. I would encourage you to pick up a copy of The Naked Gospel today. You should also check out the Naked Gospel website for more resources.

To see past 5 Question guests, check out the rotating interview links on the sidebar.

The Naked Gospel

Do you have Obsessive Christianity Disorder? With that first chapter, pastor/author Andrew Farley peels back the layers of religiosity to look at the true message of the Gospel.

When I first heard about this book, the premise greatly excited me. I believe we, as children of God, need to have a better understanding of our Identity in Christ. When my copy arrived in the mail, even my concept of who we are in Christ was challenged.

Ingeniously packaged with a clear plastic dust jacket (and a huge green fig leaf with the title emblazoned across it), this book lists the table of contents right on the book cover! Don't let the simple design fool you, this book is like a spiritual time-bomb ready to blow your preconceptions out of the water.

As I read this book I found myself excited at the Biblical truth within and irritated at Andrew's no holds barred approach to delivering it. Andrew pulls no punches as he lists numerous Scriptures (in context) to support his premise. With a refreshing directness, Andrew sets aside the churchy jargon and Christian double-talk to get to the heart of the matter. The central theme of Jesus plus nothing, permeates the book.

If you are tired of religion, worn out by works and frustrated by imitation Christianity then this is the book for you. I challenge you to pick up a copy of this book and not have your concepts challenged, your faith ignited and your hunger for God set to new heights.

The Naked Gospel is available from Zondervon, Amazon or your local Christian bookstore. Pick up your copy today and start your journey with the Lord anew! You can also find out more info on this awesome book on thenakedgospel.com

Thanks to Zondervan for a review copy of this book.

What IS sin?

I have been coaching girl's basketball for the last few weeks. Our town has a 6 week spring league for youth and this is my second year coaching 10-11 year old girls.

Imagine my surprise when one of the girls asked me that question as I was going over plays before they went back onto the floor. It through me for a bit of a loop. I forgot that I had a t-shirt on under my open jacket. The shirt had one of those Christian messages on it. This particular one said, "Sin is the leading cause of death" and quoted Romans 6:23 which says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^a]"> Christ Jesus our Lord."

My mind began to race just a bit. I tried to ignore her question and focus the team back on the plays I was trying to call. Persistent, she asked the question again. Again I attempted to ignore her.

It wasn't that I did not know how to answer her, but I was asked to coach by the town and could not be seen as using this as a chance to evangelize kids without a parents knowledge. When she asked a 3rd time I was seriously flummoxed. I was attempting to form an answer when another 10 year old burst forth with a response, which was far more appropriate for her to do in that situation.

However it got me to thinking...what is sin? Some consider the big "issues" like abortion, murder, rape, etc to be sin. Others look at "little white lies" and say they are ok. Some justify sin for whatever reasons and even mis-quote and interpret Scriptures accordingly.

So what is Sin to you? Are some sins worse than others?

Between the Psychic and the Porta-Potty - Just A Thought #41

This past week I found myself taking part in a food drive for the Salvation Army. The drive was being put on by a traveling carnival that was set up for a couple days in town. As I pulled up they showed me where to set up, which was beside the porta-potties and across from the psychic. (Insert cheesy joke here!)

Sadly, I saw a couple Christians heading into the psychic to have their palms read or tarot cards laid out for them. The lady promised 90% accuracy in foretelling your future! I found it very sad that believers would violate God's Word by willingly seeking advice from someone practicing acts that God clearly condemns.

From psychics to horoscopes it seems people have no problem consulting others for wisdom that only God can give. It's not just wisdom though, I know quite a few believers who want to see how close they can get to the line of sin while touting their "freedom" in Christ. I think if you are looking for the line, you are already on the wrong side of it.

Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness? Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? Can God's temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said, "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people." The Lord says, "Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you." (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

We are called to resist the evil of this world. We are not called to compromise, to give in, to surrender to the cares of this world. We should act more like Joseph fleeing temptation. Remember, he ran from it, leaving his cloak behind in his hurry to get away. (Genesis 39:1-11) I have never found a Scripture telling us to see how close we can get to sin while still resisting. I have never seen a Scripture where God tells us to seek His wisdom from a horoscope or a psychic.

We need to actively resist temptation. Christ, living in us, has given us the ability to do that. Let's not dabble with the things of this world. God's ways are far superior to any "wisdom or good things" the world has to offer. When we follow through with what 2 Corinthians says above, then God has promised to call us His own. "The Lord Almighty says, "I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters." (2 Corinthians 6:18)