I am posting something that is concerning to me. Not too long ago, I posted a message about the FDA raiding a health food store (they were armed, as well) and confiscating all of the Morningland cheese that was made from raw milk, then taking it to be tested, claiming that they believed that the cheese was possibly containing bad bacteria. The cheese was taken out of all the stores that carried the product and the farm that produced the cheese has been shut down, if I understand correctly.
The cheese was tested and the results were fine. But the farm is not reopened yet, to my knowledge. The FDA shut it down and has not allowed it to be opened up again.
Morningland Dairy Shut Down
This is definitely something to pray about. This is not the only case where the FDA steps in and shuts things down. Farmers are going to jail, simply because they sell raw milk to the public. Farmers are going to jail because the soy plants they have growing happen to have been affected by the GMO soy plants produced by Monsanto, which are patented. We need to pray for our farmers.
But this last item I want to bring up doesn't have to do with farming or food. It has to do with a bizarre story that involves the Secret Service and a gospel tract called, the 'Million Dollar Bill' tract.
People love this tract, and it is put out by a company called, 'Living Waters' based in California. It has a simple Gospel message on it and is eye catching. Not everyone uses this tract, and it is a matter of preference for those doing evangelism as to whether they will use this tract or some other one. But it is definitely an eye-catcher and a good ice-breaker as well.
The Million Dollar Bill tract is perfectly legal to use, simply because there is no such thing as a million dollar bill. I have seen tracts that look like $20, but those, if they are the same size as a regular dollar bill, could possibly be illegal to use, because they would resemble a genuine $20 bill. But the million dollar bills are safe, or should be safe, because there is no such thing as a million dollar bill.
Around six years ago, supposedly someone gave a teller one of the Million Dollar Bill tracts in North Carolina, and the teller called in the authorities concerning the tract. OK, this is where something really strange is happening. Why in the world didn't the teller confront the person who was trying to cash in the Million Dollar Bill tract first? I am sure that people have tried to cash this tract in for money, but you have to be a pretty naive teller to know that there is really no such thing as a million dollar bill in the first place. In the second place, a short glance at the tract makes it obvious that it is not real money. It says on the front that it is not 'legal tender' and has some of the commandments written on it. Something bogus is going on here.
Well, the Secret Service found a Texas address for the Great News Network, an organization which trains people to do evangelism, on the tract, and made a trip out there. But, there were many things wrong about this. They came in without a search warrant. They stole over 8,000 of the tracts. When the Secret Service found out that the tracts were originally from Living Waters, they threatened to go out there and shut the place down.
Over a long period of time, many court sessions took place. You see, the Secret Service was the group that was at fault. They should have been arrested. I think there were eight court hearings on this, and finally the Great News Network won its case.
Here is the gist of my concern: These cases are totally bogus. They are made up and carried out by people (in authority positions) who are angry and want to stop certain thing from continuing (like the production of Gospel tracts or raw milk). This is why we need to pray for those in authority. We need to become knowledgable about the issues. We have key people working out of our government to promote agendas that we will not find desirable. So far, we have seen a couple of cases where it is obvious that key people are beginning to abuse their authority and use it for their own ends. This is why we need to pray for the church and for the country. We also need to get involved in those areas where God has called us to. It might be farming. It might be producing tracts. It is probably something else though.
This is the call to die to ourselves. Their is a greater cause than our own leisures and comforts. We are in a battle, and if we are not properly clad and armored, we will become casualties.
I am not going to write and complain about people in government who are abusing their authorities, but I am going to encourage us to pray, and not give up. America needs a healthy church and we make up the body of Christ (if we have trusted in Christ) and need to function as a body of related believers.
I also believe that if we were a healthy body of related believers, and if we are truly affected by the Gospel, we would be doing the work of evangelism. We need Godly people in government. We need Godly schoolteachers. We need Godly businessmen and women. We need Godly judges in our court systems. Let's pray for God to raise them up. Let's pray for the health of the church.
Aquilla Report on Secret Service Raid
Living Waters Celebrates Victory
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Answers to Prayers - God is Moving - Support Businesses Owned By God Fearing People
I have been praying lately for our country, and more specifically for Godly men and women to be raised up to give vital leadership throughout America (this suggestion on praying for Godly leadership comes from Bill Bright of Campus Crusade, many years ago). But even more specifically, I have been praying for God fearing men and women to have their own businesses. Much of America today is made up of corporations, not that that is so bad in itself, but America started off successfully by men and women developing their own business. In the olden days, there were farmers, and farmers and more farmers. But today, we have a wide variety of careers people can choose from and excel in. The goal is not to be rich, but to grow and develop the skills in our children to prepare them for their 'future stations'.
I think the day will come when we should have a network made up of born again craftsmen, farmers, accountants, musicians, tree cutters, ice-cream store owners, Laundromat owners, etc. We could support one another like those in a community. I even saw a granary mill in GA that still deals with bartering. If you don't know what bartering is, it is simply trading your goods or services for someone else's goods or services. In the olden days, you could bring a dozen eggs in and trade them at the mercantile for paper or other goods that you need and they carry. If the economy does fail, we would have each other to help ourselves out and could run our own community if we do it right.
With that in mind, I am pleased to announce three places that I know of (I am sure there are more) that seem to promote Christian values. We all know about Chick-Fil-A because of the stand they took for marriage being made up of one man and one woman. Another place we went to tonight is called, 'Sweet Frog" and it is a frozen yogurt place. I am not really a frozen yogurt fan, but will admit that the food I ate tonight was excellent. The F.R.O.G. letters represent Fully Rely On God. It looks like a kid friendly place and the people who worked there seemed friendly. One other place that comes to mind is Hobby Lobby. I'm sure that most people know the struggle they went through this past year, because they do not want to support the new insurance demands that would help supply money for those who want an abortion as a way of birth control. This whole episode cost Hobby Lobby tons of money because they took a stand for what it right. They are opening new stores in our area, so we would be wise to support this company if we use their products. They sell arts and craft supplies and they also sell children's toys and musical instruments. They carry Christmas decorations and have boldly taken a stand for God in America. We could pray for God to bless these businesses. They will probably have some type of difficulty or persecution in the future as our nation becomes more godless.
There is also one other place that comes to mind, that has suffered much loss at the hands of the FDA and the legal system. Morningland Dairy produced cheese that was made from raw milk, and sold in various stores. The FDA came in one of the stores, and at gunpoint, demanded all the Morningland Dairy cheese. They claimed that it might be tainted and took all the cheese out of all the stores that carried the cheese, and shut down the dairy. The cheese had been tested and it was fine, but the authorities still will not allow Morningland Dairy to operate and sell cheese. Those who own Morningland Dairy asked for prayer. Here is a url on it:
Morningland Dairy Raw Cheese government raid
May God bless the farmers who trust in Him. May God raise up men and women who fear His name to have businesses and prosper. May God bless Morningland Dairy and help them to reopen for business. May God bless Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, and Sweet Frog and cause them to prosper. May God give each one the grace to boldly stand up for the truth always. In Jesus' name.
I think the day will come when we should have a network made up of born again craftsmen, farmers, accountants, musicians, tree cutters, ice-cream store owners, Laundromat owners, etc. We could support one another like those in a community. I even saw a granary mill in GA that still deals with bartering. If you don't know what bartering is, it is simply trading your goods or services for someone else's goods or services. In the olden days, you could bring a dozen eggs in and trade them at the mercantile for paper or other goods that you need and they carry. If the economy does fail, we would have each other to help ourselves out and could run our own community if we do it right.
With that in mind, I am pleased to announce three places that I know of (I am sure there are more) that seem to promote Christian values. We all know about Chick-Fil-A because of the stand they took for marriage being made up of one man and one woman. Another place we went to tonight is called, 'Sweet Frog" and it is a frozen yogurt place. I am not really a frozen yogurt fan, but will admit that the food I ate tonight was excellent. The F.R.O.G. letters represent Fully Rely On God. It looks like a kid friendly place and the people who worked there seemed friendly. One other place that comes to mind is Hobby Lobby. I'm sure that most people know the struggle they went through this past year, because they do not want to support the new insurance demands that would help supply money for those who want an abortion as a way of birth control. This whole episode cost Hobby Lobby tons of money because they took a stand for what it right. They are opening new stores in our area, so we would be wise to support this company if we use their products. They sell arts and craft supplies and they also sell children's toys and musical instruments. They carry Christmas decorations and have boldly taken a stand for God in America. We could pray for God to bless these businesses. They will probably have some type of difficulty or persecution in the future as our nation becomes more godless.
There is also one other place that comes to mind, that has suffered much loss at the hands of the FDA and the legal system. Morningland Dairy produced cheese that was made from raw milk, and sold in various stores. The FDA came in one of the stores, and at gunpoint, demanded all the Morningland Dairy cheese. They claimed that it might be tainted and took all the cheese out of all the stores that carried the cheese, and shut down the dairy. The cheese had been tested and it was fine, but the authorities still will not allow Morningland Dairy to operate and sell cheese. Those who own Morningland Dairy asked for prayer. Here is a url on it:
Morningland Dairy Raw Cheese government raid
May God bless the farmers who trust in Him. May God raise up men and women who fear His name to have businesses and prosper. May God bless Morningland Dairy and help them to reopen for business. May God bless Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, and Sweet Frog and cause them to prosper. May God give each one the grace to boldly stand up for the truth always. In Jesus' name.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
God's Judgments
I have a concern about the way we talk about God's judgments, especially in America today. What I am hearing people say, is that some well known Christian authorities speak about God doing certain acts of judgment against people who do certain activities. We assume, and many times wrongly, that if a person is doing some type of sin and something bad happens to that person, then it means God has judged that person. Well, maybe, but very possibly not. These authorities would say that because such as such happened, it was because of a sin that those people were doing. There are a lot of fine lines here, and I will attempt to separate them.
Let's go back to the Scriptures and look at God's judgments. The big one was the worldwide flood of Noah's day. You can read about the in Genesis 6. At the beginning of the chapter, the Scriptures tell us that mankind was so wicked that they were inventing ways of evil! This was not too far from the time of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Through each generation, people just got more blatant and creative with sin. By the time Noah came, God decided to destroy the earth by means of a world wide flood. You might think this is cruel, but what would have been cruel was living in a society of people who were wicked like this. These people knew what was coming, yet, they refused to repent. The flood came and went killing everyone, except Noah and his family. God promised to never again destroy the world by means of a world wide flood. He even gave us the rainbow as a sign of His promise to us. But, there will be another judgment like this, only it will be done by means of a fire. Everything will be burned up and destroyed. Again, we have the option to repent and turn to God. We can trust in the Cross of Jesus Christ who died to pay for all our sins and iniquities. Not only that, but we can also become new creatures in Christ. We don't have to live as slaves to sin any more. In spite of that fact, most people will not repent and turn to Christ for salvation. They will suffer under God's judgment. God's desire is for us to repent. Our hearts desire is to stay selfish and get away with it.
There will be a final Judgment on Judgment Day, when all our sins will be revealed. Those who are in Christ will be safe, just like Noah and his family were safe because they were inside the Ark. Those who are outside of Christ will not be safe, and will be thrown in the Lake of Fire for eternity, never having a chance to get out.
But my concern is this; Today, Christians try to make a connection between tragedy and a person's sin. We do this by default, I believe, probably because we tend to have a 'works' mentality when it comes to everything, including our relationship with God. Job's friends did it, when God was testing Job. We do it today, when a disaster happens or when a bomb explodes or a sniper kills a group of people. But the Bible says that God causes the sun to rise on the just as well as the unjust (those who are justified for their sins by the blood of Christ, and those who remain unjustified and are outside of Christ). For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 ESV
Some people came up to Jesus one time and told Him about a tragedy that had happened. Jesus asked them some questions. Basically, after they informed Him of the tragedy, He asked the people if they thought that the groups of people who suffered in tragedies were worse sinners than others. In other words, was God punishing them because of their sin. Jesus wanted them to look at their own hearts instead. People almost always try to make a connection between tragedy and God's judgment on them. But that isn't how God works in tragedies and difficulties. Job's friends thought the same thing. They were sure that Job had some sin in his life and that was why he was experiencing the trials he was going through. We have got to be so careful as to not make wrong connections with things like that.
So, was the Boston bombings a result of God's judgment? How about the Twin towers? Are all the school shootings a result of someone's sins, maybe the parents of the children who were killed? No, that is not God sending His judgment on these people. We have to keep that in mind because most Christians think that there is a connection between the two, and that kind of thinking will bring dishonor to the Body of Christ, and harm to people who don't know the Lord yet.
But I do want to separate a fine line with this. When a person who is part of a church goes into sin, that person is no longer under God's umbrella of protection. When a society decides it is best to leave God out of its context, there will be consequences. There are natural consequences from our sin. That is not the same as God sending down His judgment upon us. If I were to live a lifestyle where I believed it was ok to have sex with anyone I wanted to, chances are good that I would end up with an STD or maybe even AIDS. If I got pregnant and had an abortion, I would live with the consequence of a guilty conscience the rest of my life. The reason we think we can get away with things and not experience consequences is because we don't fear God. We either put Him out of our minds, or we don't understand how big and powerful God is. He loves us too much to let us get away with our sins. But there are also consequences to our sins, because God is holy, and whether we like it or not, we are subject to Him and His principles.
God's mercy extends to us as long as we are living. Any time His judgments occur, He is communicating to us His hatred for wickedness and sin. Yet, He continues to be merciful to us, so that we will repent of our sins and turn to Him.
Let's be careful next time we try to make a direct connection between a tragedy and sin in that person's life. Tragedies come to all of us in one form or another. The body of Christ is supposed to be there when tragedies occur. Like one Biblical counseling teacher stated, 'Suffering is the entrance to counseling (which could lead to evangelism)'*. How many more people would be reached if we showed love instead of judgment in crisis times?
I don't believe God was punishing families at Newport when their children were killed at school. I don't believe God was punishing the people of Boston when the bombs went off and killed some of the runners. I don't believe God's judgment came down when the Twin Towers were destroyed. But I do believe that difficult things will happen to our nation, if we take ourselves out from under the umbrella of God's protection. We can turn back to Him in repentance and faith. Difficult things will happen, even when many people are Christian, but God's grace is there to sustain us.
God is sovereign over all activities that happen. The Bible tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who know Him. God will take these tragedies and turn them around for the good of His people, but only if we know Him and trust in Him. If we don't know Him, and continue to walk in our sinful ways without repentance and a desire to turn to God, we will live in a world where wickedness will increase. We will see increased shootings and murders. We will see this nation, which is supposedly one of the most powerful nations in the world, crumble. All these things will happen as a consequence of sin more than God's judgment upon us. But, there is hope, and our hope is in God. That is why we 'pray for the church, and pray for the country.'
*Ed Welch
Let's go back to the Scriptures and look at God's judgments. The big one was the worldwide flood of Noah's day. You can read about the in Genesis 6. At the beginning of the chapter, the Scriptures tell us that mankind was so wicked that they were inventing ways of evil! This was not too far from the time of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Through each generation, people just got more blatant and creative with sin. By the time Noah came, God decided to destroy the earth by means of a world wide flood. You might think this is cruel, but what would have been cruel was living in a society of people who were wicked like this. These people knew what was coming, yet, they refused to repent. The flood came and went killing everyone, except Noah and his family. God promised to never again destroy the world by means of a world wide flood. He even gave us the rainbow as a sign of His promise to us. But, there will be another judgment like this, only it will be done by means of a fire. Everything will be burned up and destroyed. Again, we have the option to repent and turn to God. We can trust in the Cross of Jesus Christ who died to pay for all our sins and iniquities. Not only that, but we can also become new creatures in Christ. We don't have to live as slaves to sin any more. In spite of that fact, most people will not repent and turn to Christ for salvation. They will suffer under God's judgment. God's desire is for us to repent. Our hearts desire is to stay selfish and get away with it.
There will be a final Judgment on Judgment Day, when all our sins will be revealed. Those who are in Christ will be safe, just like Noah and his family were safe because they were inside the Ark. Those who are outside of Christ will not be safe, and will be thrown in the Lake of Fire for eternity, never having a chance to get out.
But my concern is this; Today, Christians try to make a connection between tragedy and a person's sin. We do this by default, I believe, probably because we tend to have a 'works' mentality when it comes to everything, including our relationship with God. Job's friends did it, when God was testing Job. We do it today, when a disaster happens or when a bomb explodes or a sniper kills a group of people. But the Bible says that God causes the sun to rise on the just as well as the unjust (those who are justified for their sins by the blood of Christ, and those who remain unjustified and are outside of Christ). For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 ESV
Some people came up to Jesus one time and told Him about a tragedy that had happened. Jesus asked them some questions. Basically, after they informed Him of the tragedy, He asked the people if they thought that the groups of people who suffered in tragedies were worse sinners than others. In other words, was God punishing them because of their sin. Jesus wanted them to look at their own hearts instead. People almost always try to make a connection between tragedy and God's judgment on them. But that isn't how God works in tragedies and difficulties. Job's friends thought the same thing. They were sure that Job had some sin in his life and that was why he was experiencing the trials he was going through. We have got to be so careful as to not make wrong connections with things like that.
So, was the Boston bombings a result of God's judgment? How about the Twin towers? Are all the school shootings a result of someone's sins, maybe the parents of the children who were killed? No, that is not God sending His judgment on these people. We have to keep that in mind because most Christians think that there is a connection between the two, and that kind of thinking will bring dishonor to the Body of Christ, and harm to people who don't know the Lord yet.
But I do want to separate a fine line with this. When a person who is part of a church goes into sin, that person is no longer under God's umbrella of protection. When a society decides it is best to leave God out of its context, there will be consequences. There are natural consequences from our sin. That is not the same as God sending down His judgment upon us. If I were to live a lifestyle where I believed it was ok to have sex with anyone I wanted to, chances are good that I would end up with an STD or maybe even AIDS. If I got pregnant and had an abortion, I would live with the consequence of a guilty conscience the rest of my life. The reason we think we can get away with things and not experience consequences is because we don't fear God. We either put Him out of our minds, or we don't understand how big and powerful God is. He loves us too much to let us get away with our sins. But there are also consequences to our sins, because God is holy, and whether we like it or not, we are subject to Him and His principles.
God's mercy extends to us as long as we are living. Any time His judgments occur, He is communicating to us His hatred for wickedness and sin. Yet, He continues to be merciful to us, so that we will repent of our sins and turn to Him.
Let's be careful next time we try to make a direct connection between a tragedy and sin in that person's life. Tragedies come to all of us in one form or another. The body of Christ is supposed to be there when tragedies occur. Like one Biblical counseling teacher stated, 'Suffering is the entrance to counseling (which could lead to evangelism)'*. How many more people would be reached if we showed love instead of judgment in crisis times?
I don't believe God was punishing families at Newport when their children were killed at school. I don't believe God was punishing the people of Boston when the bombs went off and killed some of the runners. I don't believe God's judgment came down when the Twin Towers were destroyed. But I do believe that difficult things will happen to our nation, if we take ourselves out from under the umbrella of God's protection. We can turn back to Him in repentance and faith. Difficult things will happen, even when many people are Christian, but God's grace is there to sustain us.
God is sovereign over all activities that happen. The Bible tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who know Him. God will take these tragedies and turn them around for the good of His people, but only if we know Him and trust in Him. If we don't know Him, and continue to walk in our sinful ways without repentance and a desire to turn to God, we will live in a world where wickedness will increase. We will see increased shootings and murders. We will see this nation, which is supposedly one of the most powerful nations in the world, crumble. All these things will happen as a consequence of sin more than God's judgment upon us. But, there is hope, and our hope is in God. That is why we 'pray for the church, and pray for the country.'
*Ed Welch
True History: Separation of Church and State Issue Again - Artic...
True History: Separation of Church and State Issue Again - Artic...: I'm going to post a url to a web site explaining about the issue of Separation of Church and State, but before I do that, I want to explain a few things first....
In very early America, before America was even a country, there was a group of people that came over here on a ship called the Mayflower. There were actually two groups of people who were on the Mayflower as it made its way across the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1620. One group was called, 'Pilgrims' and the other group was known as 'Adventurers'. The Pilgrims were coming to America because of having to live in a stressful environment in which they weren't allowed the freedom to do what they felt God was telling them to do based upon Scripture. In England, the church and government were tied in with each other. Basically, the church had to do whatever the king wanted. And if you are in a church where the Bible is the final authority, and you want to follow that, you would be in conflict in England because you would have to follow the king and whatever he wanted or believed the Bible said. So, the Pilgrims made their way over to this land, far away from England, with the hopes of being able to establish a church that isn't headed by a king! The Adventurers came over to America with the hopes of finding gold and and whatever they could find that would make them happy. They did not profess to be Christian and at times, they made fun of the Pilgrims. It helps to keep this all in mind when dealing with the issue of Separation of Church and State. What originally was intended to provide freedom for the Pilgrims, is now taking a reverse role in America to try to eradicate Christianity, especially when the Christian is communicating Biblical truths on any governmental property. This is NOT how this principle was intended to be used.
Today, there are cases in which Christians (in particular) cannot even express opinions or share beliefs on God, because it violates something called, 'Separation of Church and State'. This principle is not found in the Constitution, yet, future lawyers are taught that it is, while they are in law school.
Take for example this ridiculous situation. A teacher was wearing a button that says 'I love Jesus'. When the principle of the school noticed it, he ordered her to remove it. Now, let me ask a question here. If a female teacher comes into her classroom fully garbed in Middle Eastern attire, will she get into trouble. Probably not. And rightly so. In America, she has the freedom to dress according to her religious convictions and she shouldn't be stopped. So, what am I saying? I believe that this whole concept of Separation of Church and State is really to silence the Christian. It holds a belief that Christianity is a threat to other people because of the demands it makes on a person's life.
When I was in school, it was a lot different (I'll admit, it was a very long time ago). We did the pledge of Allegiance (with one nation under God in it) and we even had prayer, I believe. I am not necessarily advocating having someone say a prayer ever morning over the intercom, as people will be praying to different gods possibly, and its not necessary to do that, but, in the early American days, we could get away with it because everyone in a community, during that era, was on the same page as far as religious beliefs went. I am not saying that everyone was a Christian either. Some were. Others were just in that environment and went along with it.
But today, there are groups who seem to search out anything that relates to Christianity, and remove it from the schools, and many times, will punish the person responsible for bringing it into the school.
Yes, we should not ever 'make' people believe in Christianity or the Bible. Only God can change a heart. But there is a great difference between trying to convert people against their will, and just living out a life based upon Scriptures. I find it interesting when I ask people if they ever got one (one, meaning a tract), and they ask me what it is, and I tell them that it has the Gospel message on it, occasionally, they will accuse me of 'shoving religion down their throats' (This phrase is always exactly the same. Must be some kind of anti-Christian conspiracy : ) So, if I give someone a tract, I am shoving religion down their throats? Kind of a stretch, isn't it? But this is exactly what is happening with the concept of 'Separation of Church and State'. It's not in the Constitution, but it is in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. These people were very concerned because the memory of the Church of England was still fresh in their minds. They had a valid reason to be concerned. Here is an excerpt from the article I mentioned on the top of the page:
Well, in October 1801 the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote to President Jefferson, and in their letter they voiced some concerns over religious freedom. They were concerned as to whether the government would ever interfere with the practicing of their faith. Bear in mind that these early Americans had just gained independence from England’s government as well as from its established church. These Baptists had a valid reason for being concerned.
You can read the whole article at Separation of Church and State 2 - Examiner.com
Keep in mind that 'Separation of Church and State' is not in the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is the First Amendment, which places the restriction on the government, not on the people. Now we don't have to worry about the government deciding what we should believe in or what our churches should be teaching. Government cannot interfere with religious practices.
"The intent of the First Amendment was well understood during the founding of our country. The First Amendment was not to keep God out of government; it was to keep Government from establishing a “national denomination,” like the Church of England."
Very well said, Mr. Harker. A far cry from complaining about a Nativity scene in the front yard of a public, government owned building. Sad.
Today, there are cases in which Christians (in particular) cannot even express opinions or share beliefs on God, because it violates something called, 'Separation of Church and State'. This principle is not found in the Constitution, yet, future lawyers are taught that it is, while they are in law school.
Take for example this ridiculous situation. A teacher was wearing a button that says 'I love Jesus'. When the principle of the school noticed it, he ordered her to remove it. Now, let me ask a question here. If a female teacher comes into her classroom fully garbed in Middle Eastern attire, will she get into trouble. Probably not. And rightly so. In America, she has the freedom to dress according to her religious convictions and she shouldn't be stopped. So, what am I saying? I believe that this whole concept of Separation of Church and State is really to silence the Christian. It holds a belief that Christianity is a threat to other people because of the demands it makes on a person's life.
When I was in school, it was a lot different (I'll admit, it was a very long time ago). We did the pledge of Allegiance (with one nation under God in it) and we even had prayer, I believe. I am not necessarily advocating having someone say a prayer ever morning over the intercom, as people will be praying to different gods possibly, and its not necessary to do that, but, in the early American days, we could get away with it because everyone in a community, during that era, was on the same page as far as religious beliefs went. I am not saying that everyone was a Christian either. Some were. Others were just in that environment and went along with it.
But today, there are groups who seem to search out anything that relates to Christianity, and remove it from the schools, and many times, will punish the person responsible for bringing it into the school.
Yes, we should not ever 'make' people believe in Christianity or the Bible. Only God can change a heart. But there is a great difference between trying to convert people against their will, and just living out a life based upon Scriptures. I find it interesting when I ask people if they ever got one (one, meaning a tract), and they ask me what it is, and I tell them that it has the Gospel message on it, occasionally, they will accuse me of 'shoving religion down their throats' (This phrase is always exactly the same. Must be some kind of anti-Christian conspiracy : ) So, if I give someone a tract, I am shoving religion down their throats? Kind of a stretch, isn't it? But this is exactly what is happening with the concept of 'Separation of Church and State'. It's not in the Constitution, but it is in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. These people were very concerned because the memory of the Church of England was still fresh in their minds. They had a valid reason to be concerned. Here is an excerpt from the article I mentioned on the top of the page:
Well, in October 1801 the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote to President Jefferson, and in their letter they voiced some concerns over religious freedom. They were concerned as to whether the government would ever interfere with the practicing of their faith. Bear in mind that these early Americans had just gained independence from England’s government as well as from its established church. These Baptists had a valid reason for being concerned.
You can read the whole article at Separation of Church and State 2 - Examiner.com
Keep in mind that 'Separation of Church and State' is not in the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is the First Amendment, which places the restriction on the government, not on the people. Now we don't have to worry about the government deciding what we should believe in or what our churches should be teaching. Government cannot interfere with religious practices.
"The intent of the First Amendment was well understood during the founding of our country. The First Amendment was not to keep God out of government; it was to keep Government from establishing a “national denomination,” like the Church of England."
Very well said, Mr. Harker. A far cry from complaining about a Nativity scene in the front yard of a public, government owned building. Sad.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Rend Collective Experiment
A group from Ireland wrote this song. I'm sure they are envisioned for God to visit Ireland, in much the same way we are envisioned to have God visit America. The words to this song express what is in my heart concerning God and our country. If we repent and turn back to God, God says He will heal our land. Does America need healing? The answer is obvious. This is why we pray for the church and pray for the country.
I think about the three girls who were rescued in Ohio from horrific situations. Each girl was taken into the home of a man who tortured them and abused them. One young woman was there for a decade. I believe God allowed these girls to be found, and their captor caught and put in prison. This is an answer to prayers that God would set people free from their captors. We don't know how many more children and young adults are being held captive right at this moment, but God does. And we have the responsibility and privilege to pray that God will expose the evil deeds that are hidden. We pray for kidnappers and murderers to be caught. That is an expression of God's mercy, for if people can commit serious crimes and get away with them, they will not fear God, and neither will the people who are watching.
There has been another report that 105 children that were taken by pedophiles have been found. The pedophiles were arrested. The interesting thing about this one is that the children who were taken and used for the sexual purposes of the pedophiles, either were runaways or they came from foster homes. Basically, these children came from homes where they really weren't wanted, and the pedophiles are skilled in detecting children who are in this situation. Now these 105 children are free, but do they have a loving home to go to? That is something to pray about in our society. We need to get back to the basics and build loving, secure homes. But that takes the grace of God, and will never happen apart from humility. Only when we can give up our rights to ourselves can we work together to build strong, healthy marriages.
Read the words to this song. See how they apply to our church and country.
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
We need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church
We pray revive
This Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On Earth
Song by Rend Collective Experiment
I think about the three girls who were rescued in Ohio from horrific situations. Each girl was taken into the home of a man who tortured them and abused them. One young woman was there for a decade. I believe God allowed these girls to be found, and their captor caught and put in prison. This is an answer to prayers that God would set people free from their captors. We don't know how many more children and young adults are being held captive right at this moment, but God does. And we have the responsibility and privilege to pray that God will expose the evil deeds that are hidden. We pray for kidnappers and murderers to be caught. That is an expression of God's mercy, for if people can commit serious crimes and get away with them, they will not fear God, and neither will the people who are watching.
There has been another report that 105 children that were taken by pedophiles have been found. The pedophiles were arrested. The interesting thing about this one is that the children who were taken and used for the sexual purposes of the pedophiles, either were runaways or they came from foster homes. Basically, these children came from homes where they really weren't wanted, and the pedophiles are skilled in detecting children who are in this situation. Now these 105 children are free, but do they have a loving home to go to? That is something to pray about in our society. We need to get back to the basics and build loving, secure homes. But that takes the grace of God, and will never happen apart from humility. Only when we can give up our rights to ourselves can we work together to build strong, healthy marriages.
Read the words to this song. See how they apply to our church and country.
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
We need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church
We pray revive
This Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On Earth
Song by Rend Collective Experiment
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Muslims Rewriting American History Through School Textbooks
I came across an article tonight, describing and uproar over a textbook on world History, which depicted the authenticity of Islam and credited it with things that weren't totally accurate (they talk about how wonderful Islam is for women). I will copy and paste the article and url, and you can see for yourself what is going on. Has the church lost the salt and light that it once had? This is why we need to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'!
A world history textbook being used in Florida public schools is raising serious concerns over its alleged Islamic bias. The textbook, used in ninth grade Advanced Placement classes in Brevard County for the past three years, is now under review by the school board.
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agaBSBwT
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2aga1w3Ih
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agZvDqRf
Public School Textbook Filled With Muslim Bias?
A world history textbook being used in Florida public schools is raising serious concerns over its alleged Islamic bias. The textbook, used in ninth grade Advanced Placement classes in Brevard County for the past three years, is now under review by the school board.
The book contains an entire chapter devoted to “Muslim Civilizations.” Sean Hannity noted that it has zero chapters on Christianity or Judaism. The chapter teaches about the Prophet Muhammad and how he became God’s messenger. It even describes jihad as a “holy war to defend Islam […] much like the Crusades to defend Christianity.”
Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes has obtained a copy of the textbook. He told Hannity, “Through the entire chapter, Sean, Islam is defended. They talk about how wonderful Islam is to women. I mean, you’d think that they were having Victoria’s Secret stores over there.”
Starnes said the book attempts to re-write history by likening bad things in Christianity’s history to a “massacre,” but for Islam it’s referred to as an “occupation.”
Hannity asked why the text didn’t cover comparative religions if it was going to discuss religion at all. Starnes said he hasn’t received an answer from the publishing company, Pearson, on that question. In a prepared statement, they told Starnes, “A review of the book shows there is balanced attention given to the beliefs of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.”
Starnes said this problem is bigger than Brevard County, Florida. He cited a survey by the Citizens for National Security that found that at least 80 textbooks currently in use are filled with Muslim bias.
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agaBSBwT
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2aga1w3Ih
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agZvDqRf
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Tension Between Homosexuality And The Church
I am writing this article because there is so much tension and misunderstandings in the church when in comes to issues of sin, and in this case, homosexuality.
How do we handle this situation from the standpoint of the church? How have we handled it in the past, and how can we learn from our mistakes?
First, we all need to agree on the authority of the Scriptures and what they tell us when it comes to right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness, and, truth and error. We need to know what the Scriptures say to us, and we need to be careful when it comes to the many doctrines floating around, to be discerning enough to know what is truth and how to separate it from the lies.
Homosexuality, from what we read in Scriptures, is sin. Both Old Testament and New Testament talk about this sin, and how God will punish this sin, along with all other sins, one day in judgment.
Homosexuality isn't new, nor is 'coming out of the closet', although in American History, we could say that coming out of the closet is more recent, because the standard has always been, 'marriage is made up of one woman and one man'. There was shame in being Gay, at one time. Now that Gay people can come out of the closet, and that psychologists are telling their patients that they were born with a sexual orientation that they cannot change, even if they wanted to, the Gay person believes he is living in freedom without guilt and can pursue his long, faithful, sexual desires. Not only that, but the church has been negligent in reaching out to these people, and some church authorities actually have said that the Gay community should be exterminated.
Gay people lump themselves with blacks and Jews who have been discriminated against, throughout History. They see themselves as victims of bigotry and they believe that they are designed and destined to be Gay, even though they never chose their orientation. Society has fed them lies, along with the lies of the devil to keep them from being delivered from homosexuality.
As David Powlison (CCEF) would ask, "How can we help?" What can the church do to change this tide of lies that is keeping thousands upon thousands in bondage?
Let's look at some of the attitudes of the church in the middle of the 20th Century. People made fun of Gays. There was name calling. Churches didn't respond to people when they found out they were Gay. I learned a lot of things from Mel White's book, 'Stranger At The Gate'. I would recommend to anyone who wants to find out how a 'Christian' Gay person thinks, to read this book. It is very detailed and Mel White gives tons of examples of things that were said or happened to him throughout his life, along with his fears. He describes his relationship with Christian men, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, D. James Kennedy, and James Dobson. These men, although very effective in their own particular ministries, were hostile to homosexuals. After many years, Mel White sent them letters telling them that he was Gay, and wanting to provide an opportunity to get with them to discuss homosexuality. Not one responded back. Not even a reply indicating that they were sorry but wouldn't be able to make that appointment. This is where the church went wrong. We were so strong on pointing out why homosexuality is a sin, but failed to help the homosexual to see his sin so he could repent. Our silence basically said that we don't want to have anything to do with them.
Homosexuals are people who, like us, are created in God's image, but the image is marred because of sin. I think, without realizing it, we might think that these people are less than human. We might think that if we punish them by our silence, they will get the hint and either go away or repent. Or, we could just be afraid or ignorant. We don't know what to do. Would you know what to do if someone in the church confided in you and told you his secret sin of homosexuality? Would you know what to say to him? Would you show him love or would you put him at a distance? Do we really believe that Gay people can repent and be saved? Our response to them shows what we believe about them.
I don't want to go into too much detail on this letter, but a lesbian wrote a letter to the church, and it is reprinted and published by Hunter Baker, on the Gospel Coalition's web site.Gospel Coalition - Lesbian Letter to the Church
I would encourage you to read this. I understand that this person doesn't have a clear understanding of the Gospel yet, but, she is honest in admitting what she sees in the church today, concerning the way homosexuals and lesbians are treated. Listed here are some questions this lady asks. Notice her admission of the church not giving hope to Gays.
"When the word “homosexual” is mentioned in the church, we hold our breaths and sit in fear. Most often this word is followed with condemnation, laughter, hatred, or jokes. Rarely do we hear any words of hope. At least we recognize our sin. Does the church as a whole see theirs? Do you see the sin of pride, that you are better than or more acceptable to Jesus than we are? Have you been Christ-like in your relationships with us? Would you meet us at the well, or restaurant, for a cup of water, or coffee? Would you touch us even if we showed signs of leprosy, or aids? Would you call us down from our trees, as Christ did Zacchaeus, and invite yourself to be our guest? Would you allow us to sit at your table and break bread? Can you love us unconditionally and support us as Christ works in our lives, as He works in yours, to help us all to overcome?"
She, like all other people we try to share the Gospel with, can detect our hypocrisy. Can we look at the logs in our own eyes and take them out (deal with our own sins first) so we can help others to see their sin? Do you see the sin of pride, that she is seeing? Everyone of us has pride, and each of us individually does not usually see our own pride. We can see the sins of others clearly, but we can't see our own.
Can we love these people unconditionally and would we go out with them for coffee, or are we afraid of getting AIDS? Or, are we afraid of what other Christians might think of us if they see us associating with a Gay person?
If we did treat people with respect (not only Gays, but all lost people), and if we cared for others properly, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them would come to know the Lord. Gay people could be set free and delivered. Those who sat in darkness would now be able to live in the light. Society would feel the positive effects of the love of the church.
One more thing to consider; I think we put the cart before the horse. I never knew what that phrase meant until now. I believe the general, evangelical, church today believes that we have to come clean before God before we can be saved. Many Christians believe that repenting involves the action of the stopping of sin in our lives. We all agree that God will judge sin, and that sin separates man from God, and people do need to repent when they come to Christ, but we can't 'stop sinning'. When a person comes to Christ, he or she has the grace to say 'no' to sin, but that comes as a person walks with God and grows in faith. It is not the requirement before we come to God. As C.J. Mahaney says, 'The only thing I can bring to the Cross is my sin'. Yes, we do let go of those sins as we are being saved. God gives us new hearts with new desires, and His Holy Spirit lives inside us and gives us the power to say no to temptation. It is God's will for us to be saved and free from sin, but we can't do it ourselves. To me, it looks like many in the church, including church leaders, have this belief that we need to 'stop sinning' and come to Christ in order to be saved.
What would that look like for a Gay person? He probably has prayed thousands of times for God to take the desire away from him. At first, he really didn't want to be Gay. But after years of having this desire, and having the fear of reprisal from the church, he stayed in his closet until it was ok to come out. It was ok to come out when psychologists told him that he was disobeying God by not following the desires he was created with. So, the Gay person hears a message that tells him to repent. He tries. He's tried that over and over again. The church won't have anything to do with him and treat him like a leper. How can we change?
Can you see the struggle? The church treats him like a leper. The devil keeps him bound with lies. He is desperate because he really doesn't want to be Gay, but the church says he is unrepentant, because if he truly repented, he wouldn't be Gay anymore.
How far should the church go to extend hospitality to this man (or woman)? Obviously, it is not good to allow the Gay person membership in the body of Christ at this point. I remember a woman who was joining our church, who was living with her boyfriend. During the church interview, they told her that she would have to not live with her boyfriend anymore if she wanted to be a member. That is not exclusiveness. If the church believes in the sanctity of marriage, and purity of relationships between men and women, then allowing a person who is living in a relationship that is forbidden in the Bible to join the church, would be hypocrisy. It is the same way with homosexuality. If a person is living in homosexual relationships, and if the church is aligned with the Bible, then a homosexual should not be allowed to be a member of that body. That is ok. Nothing wrong with that. That is not rejection. We need to be there to help these people come to their senses. We also want them to be free to be honest and not feel like they have to hide anything from us. Simply speaking, we need to show the love of Christ to them, with the hopes that they will come to know the Lord in repentance and faith.
"But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? There is a way?
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>" Casting Crowns
How do we handle this situation from the standpoint of the church? How have we handled it in the past, and how can we learn from our mistakes?
First, we all need to agree on the authority of the Scriptures and what they tell us when it comes to right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness, and, truth and error. We need to know what the Scriptures say to us, and we need to be careful when it comes to the many doctrines floating around, to be discerning enough to know what is truth and how to separate it from the lies.
Homosexuality, from what we read in Scriptures, is sin. Both Old Testament and New Testament talk about this sin, and how God will punish this sin, along with all other sins, one day in judgment.
Homosexuality isn't new, nor is 'coming out of the closet', although in American History, we could say that coming out of the closet is more recent, because the standard has always been, 'marriage is made up of one woman and one man'. There was shame in being Gay, at one time. Now that Gay people can come out of the closet, and that psychologists are telling their patients that they were born with a sexual orientation that they cannot change, even if they wanted to, the Gay person believes he is living in freedom without guilt and can pursue his long, faithful, sexual desires. Not only that, but the church has been negligent in reaching out to these people, and some church authorities actually have said that the Gay community should be exterminated.
Gay people lump themselves with blacks and Jews who have been discriminated against, throughout History. They see themselves as victims of bigotry and they believe that they are designed and destined to be Gay, even though they never chose their orientation. Society has fed them lies, along with the lies of the devil to keep them from being delivered from homosexuality.
As David Powlison (CCEF) would ask, "How can we help?" What can the church do to change this tide of lies that is keeping thousands upon thousands in bondage?
Let's look at some of the attitudes of the church in the middle of the 20th Century. People made fun of Gays. There was name calling. Churches didn't respond to people when they found out they were Gay. I learned a lot of things from Mel White's book, 'Stranger At The Gate'. I would recommend to anyone who wants to find out how a 'Christian' Gay person thinks, to read this book. It is very detailed and Mel White gives tons of examples of things that were said or happened to him throughout his life, along with his fears. He describes his relationship with Christian men, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, D. James Kennedy, and James Dobson. These men, although very effective in their own particular ministries, were hostile to homosexuals. After many years, Mel White sent them letters telling them that he was Gay, and wanting to provide an opportunity to get with them to discuss homosexuality. Not one responded back. Not even a reply indicating that they were sorry but wouldn't be able to make that appointment. This is where the church went wrong. We were so strong on pointing out why homosexuality is a sin, but failed to help the homosexual to see his sin so he could repent. Our silence basically said that we don't want to have anything to do with them.
Homosexuals are people who, like us, are created in God's image, but the image is marred because of sin. I think, without realizing it, we might think that these people are less than human. We might think that if we punish them by our silence, they will get the hint and either go away or repent. Or, we could just be afraid or ignorant. We don't know what to do. Would you know what to do if someone in the church confided in you and told you his secret sin of homosexuality? Would you know what to say to him? Would you show him love or would you put him at a distance? Do we really believe that Gay people can repent and be saved? Our response to them shows what we believe about them.
I don't want to go into too much detail on this letter, but a lesbian wrote a letter to the church, and it is reprinted and published by Hunter Baker, on the Gospel Coalition's web site.Gospel Coalition - Lesbian Letter to the Church
I would encourage you to read this. I understand that this person doesn't have a clear understanding of the Gospel yet, but, she is honest in admitting what she sees in the church today, concerning the way homosexuals and lesbians are treated. Listed here are some questions this lady asks. Notice her admission of the church not giving hope to Gays.
"When the word “homosexual” is mentioned in the church, we hold our breaths and sit in fear. Most often this word is followed with condemnation, laughter, hatred, or jokes. Rarely do we hear any words of hope. At least we recognize our sin. Does the church as a whole see theirs? Do you see the sin of pride, that you are better than or more acceptable to Jesus than we are? Have you been Christ-like in your relationships with us? Would you meet us at the well, or restaurant, for a cup of water, or coffee? Would you touch us even if we showed signs of leprosy, or aids? Would you call us down from our trees, as Christ did Zacchaeus, and invite yourself to be our guest? Would you allow us to sit at your table and break bread? Can you love us unconditionally and support us as Christ works in our lives, as He works in yours, to help us all to overcome?"
She, like all other people we try to share the Gospel with, can detect our hypocrisy. Can we look at the logs in our own eyes and take them out (deal with our own sins first) so we can help others to see their sin? Do you see the sin of pride, that she is seeing? Everyone of us has pride, and each of us individually does not usually see our own pride. We can see the sins of others clearly, but we can't see our own.
Can we love these people unconditionally and would we go out with them for coffee, or are we afraid of getting AIDS? Or, are we afraid of what other Christians might think of us if they see us associating with a Gay person?
If we did treat people with respect (not only Gays, but all lost people), and if we cared for others properly, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them would come to know the Lord. Gay people could be set free and delivered. Those who sat in darkness would now be able to live in the light. Society would feel the positive effects of the love of the church.
One more thing to consider; I think we put the cart before the horse. I never knew what that phrase meant until now. I believe the general, evangelical, church today believes that we have to come clean before God before we can be saved. Many Christians believe that repenting involves the action of the stopping of sin in our lives. We all agree that God will judge sin, and that sin separates man from God, and people do need to repent when they come to Christ, but we can't 'stop sinning'. When a person comes to Christ, he or she has the grace to say 'no' to sin, but that comes as a person walks with God and grows in faith. It is not the requirement before we come to God. As C.J. Mahaney says, 'The only thing I can bring to the Cross is my sin'. Yes, we do let go of those sins as we are being saved. God gives us new hearts with new desires, and His Holy Spirit lives inside us and gives us the power to say no to temptation. It is God's will for us to be saved and free from sin, but we can't do it ourselves. To me, it looks like many in the church, including church leaders, have this belief that we need to 'stop sinning' and come to Christ in order to be saved.
What would that look like for a Gay person? He probably has prayed thousands of times for God to take the desire away from him. At first, he really didn't want to be Gay. But after years of having this desire, and having the fear of reprisal from the church, he stayed in his closet until it was ok to come out. It was ok to come out when psychologists told him that he was disobeying God by not following the desires he was created with. So, the Gay person hears a message that tells him to repent. He tries. He's tried that over and over again. The church won't have anything to do with him and treat him like a leper. How can we change?
Can you see the struggle? The church treats him like a leper. The devil keeps him bound with lies. He is desperate because he really doesn't want to be Gay, but the church says he is unrepentant, because if he truly repented, he wouldn't be Gay anymore.
How far should the church go to extend hospitality to this man (or woman)? Obviously, it is not good to allow the Gay person membership in the body of Christ at this point. I remember a woman who was joining our church, who was living with her boyfriend. During the church interview, they told her that she would have to not live with her boyfriend anymore if she wanted to be a member. That is not exclusiveness. If the church believes in the sanctity of marriage, and purity of relationships between men and women, then allowing a person who is living in a relationship that is forbidden in the Bible to join the church, would be hypocrisy. It is the same way with homosexuality. If a person is living in homosexual relationships, and if the church is aligned with the Bible, then a homosexual should not be allowed to be a member of that body. That is ok. Nothing wrong with that. That is not rejection. We need to be there to help these people come to their senses. We also want them to be free to be honest and not feel like they have to hide anything from us. Simply speaking, we need to show the love of Christ to them, with the hopes that they will come to know the Lord in repentance and faith.
"But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? There is a way?
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>" Casting Crowns
"Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to
swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided"
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to
swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided"
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>
Are you a sinner? Did Jesus befriend you? Shouldn't you befriend other sinners?
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