Heartbreak

I've been following the news these last few days involving Pastor Ted Haggard. I closed our service last night by praying for him, his wife, his children and his church; and as I did so my heart broke.

I do not know this man and had honestly never even heard his name until I read of the allegations on a news website Friday morning. But this evening I took some time to read a bit about him on his website (tedhaggard.com) and listened to some past material of his on his church site (newlifechurch.org).

I wasn't really cognizant of the many televangelist scandals of the 1980's (Baker, Roberts, Swaggart, Tilton, etc...). I was just a child when news of such things broke, so they really didn't mean much to me. However, watching this latest fall unfold has been... Well, I honestly do not even know that I can find the word to describe my thought at the moment.

Numbers 32:23 comes to mind, there we read, "...you have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out." I cannot even begin to imagine the inner turmoil that Haggard has dealt with prior to the revelation of his sin. I pray that there was conviction of his sin before it was brought to light; furthermore I pray that God would ultimately restore unto him the joy of His salvation.

As I consider these happenings many verses and passages scroll through my mind; the revelation of David's sin in 2 Samuel and the ensuing 51st Psalm. In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul writes...

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Galatians 6:1-3 has also been very heavy upon my heart...

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

I trust that godly men will be brought to Ted Haggard's side in the midst of this; I hope that he will be restored and his marriage saved. Godly sorrow will work repentance unto salvation. That said, an article I read this evening from the Colorado Springs Gazette struck me. Several staff writers from the Gazette visited local churches in Colorado Springs this Sunday morning to gauge the response of the church community. I believe two of the visited churches were rather liberal in their views, which brought to my mind another passage penned by Paul...

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:1-16

Swell...

Every Halloween we have a "Harvest Celebration" Carnival at the church and each year one of the guys from the body comes as a cartoon/caricature artist... He left this behind when he left this year :)



I thought it was pretty cool.