Steve Caronna

Abortion question

Pastor Steve,
I have a stupid question, we are taught that God gave us free will, than shouldn't we accept free will from others? I mean I know what I went through when I was uninformed about my choices and made the choice to have not one but two abortions. But somehow it feel like I would be condeming someone who was pro choice rather than at least taking the time to inform them about their decisions. Wouldnt that be a better way to go pro informed. You know how its so much more paperwork and time to get a divorce than it is to get married, it should be so much more difficult to have this procedure than just paying and filling out the paperwork; because of the consequences afterward.

This is not a stupid question.  Thanks for asking!  I understand what you are saying, and it is never our intention to condemn anyone.  ALL of us have made wrong choices in our past!  I also appreciate your comparison to how much paperwork and time goes into a divorce as opposed to an abortion.  Here are some other things to consider:

1.  You are exactly correct, there needs to be more information available to women who are considering an abortion...but also keep in mind that there is an agenda from several agencies and government groups, including "Planned Parenthood", to keep pro-life information quiet.  Most women who get abortions, as you have said, have never been properly informed about the "choices" available.

2.  As a pastor, I am astounded at the great couples who want to adopt children, but there aren't enough children to go around, and the paperwork, red tape, and cost to adopt is unbelievable!  Yes couples should be scrutinized, but many women, if they understood the adoption situation in this country, would have their child and share them with another family.

3.  When a woman aborts a child, she is not only making a choice for herself and perhaps the baby's father, but also for an unborn child who became a life at conception.  If the baby could make the choice for themself, I wonder which they would choose?

I saw a baby with a t-shirt on the other day that said, "now that I"M safe, I'm pro-choice!"

4.

^13–16     Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

     you formed me in my mother’s womb.

     I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

     Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

     I worship in adoration—what a creation!

     You know me inside and out,

     you know every bone in my body;

     You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

     how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

     Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

     all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

     The days of my life all prepared

     before I’d even lived one day.

Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Ps 139:13-16). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.

Why Faith Fails for Leaders

Heb. 11:2 "For by faith the elders obtained a good report"

Living Word has hundreds of leaders.  Not only invoolved in the inner workings of the ministry, but also in the business, political, educational, media, entertainment, and sports fields.  In our ability to lead others, this Scripture leads to the question..."are WE as leaders known by our faith?

We know from Heb. 11:1 that faith is the ability to percieve as real fact what is not yet revealed to our senses...so what is it that is in your future that you can actually SEE with your "eyes of faith", but your natural senses don't have a clue?  This is what these Bible elders (leaders) were known for.  Is that what YOU"RE known for?  Are you a visionary?  How good are you as a leader in casting a vision that others will follow?  Are we just pounding our fist on the table, demanding that others follow us, and getting angry with them if they don't?

John Maxwell says, "He who thinks he is a leader, and has no one following, is only taking a walk".  As a leader, be a person of faith.  Real faith.  Real faith is contagious, and people will follow you because they want to follow a leader with a vision, not a leader who simply demands that others follow.

How do you get this kind of faith?  That's the message this coming weekend.  See you there!

John McCain

In my blog post "FAQ #12", I mentioned that there is not a pro-life candidate running for president, and I want to correct my mistake.  John McCain had given me (apparently not anybody else) the impression early in the Republican Primary that he was pro-choice, but during the interview with Rick Warren he expressed in very clear terms that he is pro-life.  I apologize for any misunderstanding.

This is NOT and endorsement of John McCain!  I just want to set the record straight about his position on this most important issue.  Are you panicking?  Or are you praying?  Every election it becomes more and more crucial that Christians be involved in the political process.  This is the MOST important election EVER!  Do you know where you stand?  What you're going to do?  How you will vote?  What issues are important to you?  Most importantly, what issues are important to God?  How does He want His Church to affect the world?

Dominion Conference

Yep, it's been a few days since the conference, and I've been recouperating as well as ministering over the weekend, but please allow me to say one more time...wow...what a conference!  Robb Thompson's message on "The Top Ten People You Can't Help" will go in my top ten!  Steve Kelly was the usual amazing passionate communicator, and "Give Me An Undivided Heart" helped us to see where our loyalties and commitments really are!  Dennis Burke's teaching on "Believing" was the PERFECT introduction to my series this past weekend on "Why Faith Fails"!  Thanks to all of the hundreds of volunteers that it took to make this conference a HUGE success.  Attendance was throught the roof, and many lives were changed.  Now that we have moved up another level in our understanding of "Dominion By The Word", let's take some SERIOUS GROUND from the enemy!  The Goal Is Souls!

Dominion #3

It's hard to describe how a conference like this can change you, and how that impartation seems to just go right into you!  Robb Thompson was good last night, but I'll have to say that this morning's message about "The Ten People That You Can't Help" will go into my "Top 10".  As a pastor, and as a Christian, there are times that I have spent so much time trying to help people who don't really want help. 

Here are the top 10 you can't help:

1.  Nope...I've changed my mind about listing these.  If you missed the session, you need to take the time to listen to the CD!  There is so much you need to get that I can't list here.  You can get it online at LWFC bookstore.

Tonight...Steve Kelly!  Bring your best Australian accent!

Dominion!

How is it possible that the Dominion Conference gets better every year??  Each year I think it can't get better, but WOW!  Dominion 2008 has started out to be a real life-changing experience for us as a Church as well as individuals.  John Avanzini started out with a message that is not the norm for him, but moved us into a new dimension in our thinking.  Got your rock?  Did you ignite it???

Apostle Robert Kasaro taught last night about open doors, and this morning on being able to receive what you see, and Connie taught this morning about how our dominion is bigger than us, and our little world.  Was "Google earth" the coolest?

Some of you don't know Robb Thompson, YET!  What a powerful minister of the Word.  Life-changing stuff tonight!

Here are pics of the conference so far, including pirates from VBS!

Dominion!

Wow...don't really have time to blog, but this conference is amazing!  Just heard Connie talk about corporate dominion this morning at the 10AM session.  GREAT Stuff!  Roberrt Kasaro is getting ready to begin...gotta go!  Hope you're here!

David and Stephanie Pond

I am so proud of these guys.  They were at Living Word years ago, and about 9 years ago moved to Seattle for Dave's job.  They became involved at Christian Faith Center in Seattle, which has grown from 3,000 to 10,000 while they have been there.  They were loyal, faithful, and committed when they were here, and they have been loyal, faithful, and committed there!  Because they are staffers there, and have seen that growth from the inside, I asked them if they would come out here and tells what we "don't know" about our future, since we're headed in the direction they've been.  So last week they were here for several days working with me and the staff on security issues, growth patterns and staffing.  I learned a ton!  Thanks Dave and Stephanie!

FAQ #15

What should I do when satan throws my past up in my face?

1 Cor. 6:9-11 - ^ "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ^10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ^11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

All of us have things in our past that we're not proud of, but as this Scripture says, we were washed, (in the Blood, so our sins are forgiven!)  we were sanctified, (set apart for the service of God!) and we were justified, not because we have a glowing past, but because we have an awesome future, provided by the Lord Jesus, and by His Spirit, because He loves us!   Satan throws our past in our face because he knows that we have the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are unstoppable!...except that if he can discourage us, we will stop ourselves.  So memorize 1 John 1:9 and realize that the past is exactly that, the past.  Don't live in it or dwell on in.  Focus on the bright future that you have in God!

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FAQ #14

What is "'blasphemy of the Holy Spirit"?

Matt. 12:22-32 ^ "Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ^23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the ^rSon of David?” ^24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

^25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. ^26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ^27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ^28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ^29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. ^30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. ^31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. ^32 Anyone who ^yspeaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." 

Many scholars interpret "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" in several different ways.  Let me quote Word Studies In The Greek New Testament by Kenneth Wuest: "Here the words speak of the action of the scribes, who, knowing that our Lord was performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, deliberately and knowingly attribute them to Satan, and do this in an attempt to break the attesting power of the miracles our Lord was performing."  I agree with that statement.  The scribes knew that the miracles that Jesus did were real, and done by the power of the Holy Spirit, but even more than that, they knew that these miracles were for the purpose of validating Jesus' ministry, and therefore would result in the drawing of multitudes to Him.  In an effort to discredit Jesus, and knowing it not to be the truth, the scribes label Jesus' power as from satan rather than the Holy Spirit, hoping to disuade people from following Him.

Learn the Word!  Learn to recognize the Work Of God!  Matthew 24 tells us that in the last days there will be much deception on the earth, and we don't want to miss God when He is at work.  There are whole denominations that don't believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including miracles are at work in the Church today.  Wow!  Too late to tell me that!  I've already seen them!  It doesn't seem that the Holy Spirit got that memo, either!  Just this last Sunday night at service, healings happened!  PUBLICLY!  One lady had a lump in her breast DISAPPEAR!  Word of knowledge flowed as I called out a left ankle being healed, and there were TWO!  Let's be careful how we label things like this, and judge them by the Word, rather than our own biases and opinions.