Strange Bedfellows?
This past week and a half has been very interesting in our nation. Along with the economic crisis and the Lakers finally losing a game (I was at Staple Center when it happened-bummer!), there was a nation-wide protest of California’s Proposition 8. Prop 8 was an initiative that defined marriage as between a man and a woman only. It passed. The following is from an Associated Press article…….
“Protests following the vote on Proposition 8 in California, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, have sometimes been angry and even violent, and demonstrators have targeted faiths that supported the ban, including the Mormon church.
Balliett said supporters in 300 cities in the U.S. and other countries were holding marches, and she estimated 1 million people would participate, based on responses at the Web sites her group set up.
“We need to show the world when one thing happens to one of us, it happens to all of us,” she said.
The protests were widely reported to be peaceful, and the mood in Boston was generally upbeat, with attendees dancing to the song “Respect.” Signs cast the fight for gay marriage as the new civil rights movement, including one that read “Gay is the new black.”
But anger over the ban and its backers was evident at the protests.
One sign in Chicago, where several thousand people gathered, read: “Catholic Fascists Stay Out of Politics.”
“I just found out that my state doesn’t really think I’m a person,” said Rose Aplustill, 21, a Boston University student from Los Osos, Calif., who was one of thousands at the Boston rally.
In San Francisco, demonstrators took shots at some religious groups that supported the ban, including a sign aimed at the Mormon church and its abandoned practice of polygamy that read: “You have three wives; I want one husband.” (end quote)
Mormons, Catholics, Protestants and Muslims have been vocal in their opposition to gay marriage and homosexuality in general. Strange bedfellows indeed.
My question is this: As Christ-followers, what should be our response to the present cultural tide that keeps pushing for the acceptance of homosexuality as normative? What should the Church do? I’ve recently heard some people who identify themselves as Christians argue for an acceptance homosexuality. They take the genetic predisposition angle and explain away the various passages of Scripture condemning the practice. Even Ray Boltz (the guy who sang ‘Thank You for giving to the Lord, I am alive because you gave..’), came out of the closet, left his wife and kids for a male lover. I have my own thoughts, but I’d like to hear yours.
peace, g
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all the laws that have been set up by bibical principals are been taken away left and right. it feels like there’s no hope. we used to be the majority now were the minority. i am so sad to here about Ray Boltz. sounds like we need to pray for him. i know at work and at schools were not allowed to speek the name of Jesus Christ unless its in vein. we have been shut up and we let this happen. the family name has been distroyed by unhollywood now people are genderly confused because of no proper teaching of bibical family values. for me this is truely scary only its not a movie.
Ray Boltz didn’t leave his wife and kids for a male lover. He and his wife divorced several years after he came out to his family, not because of a lover, but because he couldn’t keep living a lie anymore. According to the interview he did, his family is really supportive of him.
Read the real story at http://www.washingtonblade.com/2008/9-12/arts/feature/13258.cfm
But don’t go spreading stories that aren’t true.
The last thing “Christians” should do is draw away from the culture that seeks to abuse it, make fun of it, and label it on it’s terms. Engage it. How do we do that is the question. Starts with Love in my view. Hate the sin love the sinner….start there. In the political arena we must stand frim, but loving, on the values of our republic for the past 200 years. The majority of the state of CA is for traditional marriage. The end game seems that it will find it’s way back to the courts. Pray that the “will of the people” will overcome. If not, be good to those that hate you and despitfully use you. My 2 cents.
I pray that God will bring up apostle Paul types to speak to this. Nobody wants to touch this, including me because we probably all personally know at least one homosexual that we don’t want to appear as a hater to. I find myself even looking through my bible to find some justification that it’s ok, but I’m not finding any. People use the argument that God created them that way, but we were all born into sin. Some peoples is more obvious than others, but I don’t think we are supposed to just say this is how I am and stay that way. Oh no, now I’m going to be called a hater. I do hope that God raises up some apostle Paul types to speak to this and I pray that when He does, we all don’t shy away from standing up for the Truth.
My apologies, Dee. I stand corrected. My comments were based on the Washington Blade article which said (quote) ‘…Boltz declines to go into specifics about the first time he was with a man, but says he has been dating and lives “a normal gay life” now…..’ (end quote). The article did not say that he left his family for a male lover. Again, my apologies…..
Good comments, Coach K. I’m with you. I’ve been chewing on the apostle Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 5 concerning the way Christians are to relate to the unsaved world around them. “…But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
An interesting dichotomy don’t you think? Disassociate from the sinful person who claims to be a Christ-follower, but associate with the sinful person who makes no such claim…..hmmm….g
It is scarey how mainstream homosexuality. It is no longer that there are a minority of people who think it is ok. Those of us who know that it is wrong are now the minority. I don’t hate those people who choose homosexuality, but I do disagree with their choice, but as I told one homosexual youth that I worked with as a youth care worker, I believe homosexualityis wrong but that does not mean I don’t like you. Every one I know does things that I think are wrong including myself. The diference doing things that you know are wrong and choosing to embrace that wrong thing and make it a life style. I used to attend the Lighthouse but my wife and I now live in Canada. Canada not too long ago became the 4th country in the world to legalize gay marrige. Not only that British Columbia passed a law that made it so that schools had to addopt as part of their cirriculum courses that teach acceptance of homosexuality. They have declaired that if you do not allow your child to take said classes then they will not be alowed to graduate. This is what I see happening to the rest of Canada and eventually the U.S. I urge parents to make sure that they stay involved in their chilren’s education. Make sure that they know what is right before they go out and let the world tell them what is.
Thanks for giving us food for thought Gregg.
I think there is much wisdom in what the Apostle Paul said.. (obviously) for those who have not been born again, their sin is still sin, but they are still in a state of death. Once we become awakened and are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are accountable to what we know. AND… being filled with the Holy Spirit, we defile a space shared by God with our sin whether it is sexual sin, or any other sin…. In addition to that, when we hang ourselves out to be Christians and then endorse this kind of sin, we cause others to become confused, to stumble or to be deceived. It also discredits those who carry the gospel. Very serious issues, indeed. I can see why it is better to associate with the unsaved caught up in sin than with Christians practicing habitual immoral or dishonest behavior.
Good topic
“AND… being filled with the Holy Spirit, we defile a space shared by God with our sin whether it is sexual sin, or any other sin…”
I think Susan hit the nail on the head. We ought to never “defile” our hearts, bodies, or minds with sin.
When people are walking in darkness, we cannot expect them to behave or believe as those who are walking in the light. But once they have the Holy Spirit, they (quite frankly) have the capacity to know better, and they should be held accountable for their behavior by other believers. This, of course, doesn’t just apply to sexual sins, though they often are the “easiest” to pick on…
There is a sorrow in my heart over things like this. The whole thing is sad because that’s how sin is. I get turned off by Christians who stand (or think they do) just a little higher up and judge people when they themselves have not “arrived”. I’m not talking about just accepting sin. I’m talking about the FACT that what does Jesus say. To love. He loves people right where they are at. We are called to do that and if we really do walk in HIM, then we will be salt and light and those people who are “living” in a sinful state of being will be thirsty because of our salt. They will be drawn to the light. Who wants to come join the land of Christiandom where you are beat up and wounded in order to enter in? Sounds like a gang to me. So, what if they don’t come “in”. What if they choose to stay in these relationships…it’s the same as any one of us choosing to carry out an adulterous affair and remain in it. It’s the same as us continuing to drink and do drugs even after the Lord has touched our hearts and we’ve ignored Him. When I backslid I didn’t hunger for God when someone turned their back on me or accused me. When they loved me enough to speak the truth in LOVE, that changed me. As Christians it is our right & calling to share the Love of God and speak Truth, but you better do it in Love. No man comes to the Father unless the Holy Spirit draws him and I just shake my head and wonder how many people would fill our churches if they really felt love. We can’t sidestep the issue. We can’t pat sin on the back by avoiding telling the truth, but first you feed them and clothe them. You love them and when they believe it (and people know real love) you have a platform with them and if they reject it ultimately unto their death, then God has the last word. Whether they believe they are sinning is irrelevant because truth is truth. Every day people die with beliefs that there is no God and yet we keep reaching out to them. It’s the same for homosexuals, murderers, adulterers, liars, fornicators. We never give up on them. The Lord spoke to my heart several years ago when our church fell apart and people began to scatter and He said that He chooses to “endure” with us and we are to “endure” with others the same way. Marriage in God’s eyes was set up as a man and a woman and they can make all the laws they want but there is only One Truth. We should accept them in love just like an atheist. But we should speak the truth to them and never back down and operate in love and if they lash out in anger and unforgiveness then we are being persecuted for righteousness sake, but if we are not doing it in LOVE, then don’t think we can fool the Lord. When you have love for a leper, you embrace them, you feed them and clothe them and heal them. When it’s a “Christian” homosexual you realize they are deceived and you still speak truth and pray for them because if they are carnally minded they are not going to get it anyway. This is such a spiritual battle. Love is the key. Love is engaging, passionate, never gives up. The real person in all of us, once this flesh is gone, is what matters, so look deeper and you just might see beyond their “sin”. You just might see them the way Christ does. It makes it easier to minister to them and love them despite their lifestyle. As far as Pauls teaching…yes, we don’t hang out and partner up and enter into contracts with ANYONE who is not living for Christ or there will be problems. Even meals in those days were a big deal and intimate so yeah, that makes sense because its meaning is bigger than just casually grabbing a taco. This was letting people into your life and locking arm in arm with them. People who are not Christians are lost and mercy and grace are there. People who say they are Christians should submit themselves to sound teaching and true doctrine and if they don’t they are rebellious. If they are rebellious then God still has mercy and grace, but they are choosing to step outside of its covering so that’s dangerous ground for them. It’s just not wise to associate (doesn’t mean speak to) or become best friends with people who are not likeminded because, simply put, we are to encourage one another with the good news and the hope of the calling and how do we do that unless we have something in common. We should be concerned about the things of the spirit and they are concerned about the things of the flesh. I’ve been there and done that, so I speak from experience. I think I just raved on too long. Please forgive!
Well said, Carol!
i have been away from the sight for awhile, and im back to this very very deep blog…. out of all the comments i relate more to carol’s comment than anyone’s…. i hear the others but wonder what is the right way? and i feel right now that that may be the problem… a formula to deal with every homesexual… how is this possible… there is no one way to deal with them…. ive been told that when the rubber meets the road that i have to seperate from a homosexual in my life… i am very very close to one… i love him immensely…
so my question to myself is when does the rubber actually meet the road? i have not reached that point… am i long suffering? tolerant? or sinning? i have not reached a point that god has said…”never talk to this person again!” “never eat with this person again!” “never love them again!”… i have watched how christians have mocked and talked about him… i have watched locals look at his family as if they knew exactly why he turned out the way he did. is this the preverbial rubber meeting the road… i shudder to think so…..
if this person ever comes out of this lifestyle who is he going to cry out to, who is he going to ask his questions? not the above mentioned christians. no this person is going to trust that i was telling him that i disagree with the bottom line, but that i was there to love him. so am i supporting the lifestyle or the person? is it really any mans place to tell me an answer to that question?
i wasnt picketing with people who wanted marriage to be for anyone, not just man and woman… but i wonder if alot of the allure would go away if it wasnt so taboo…. i know gasp!!! i said it… its an institution that is flawed before gay people want a chunk of it…. divorce rate is up to 60% alot of men and women married arent even getting the commitment part right without the homosexual part thrown into it…. im not saying it needs to be done away with… please… dont overreact to me speculating on our ever changing world. ive been married for 18 1/2 years, and we have made a commitment to make it through no matter what. i believe in the institution of marriage… i just wonder about our country and its need to think we know everything, in our pride and selfishness.
so my last thought is i dont envy being on staff of a christian church during this time… so much responsibility is put on a pastor’s shoulders to “do the right thing” so the leaders of the bible based churches really need our prayers… we pew potatoes might have it easier to minister one on one with this lifestyle without the church overshadowing the heart of the homosexual…
bottom line, we need to love…. i would rather err on the side of grace than err on the side of legalistic prideful behavior…. and when in doubt, wait….. and do nothing earth shattering until you know for a fact the lord has moved you to take that drastic action….
heidi
I find it ironic that many heterosexuals treat marriage with passivity while homosexuals want so badly to take part in the establishment. If only it were the other way around. I believe part of the reason we are where we are is due to our own marriage failings. It is not viewed with great desire in society. Consequently, many do not care who gets married. We have regressed from what marriage should be and made it hard for people to decipher what it can be. There are homosexual couples out there who can raise children just as well as and even better than some heterosexual ones. This is sad because this should not even be a possibility. The marriage bed is so distorted already that it is hard for people to see why this is a problem. We have more to do than simply agree or disagree with legislation.
What about the children born to a man who was born a woman? May Jesus come soon and take us all home!!!
In working through the first letter to the Corinthians, I am discovering an important vein of truth. Paul treats people according to their need. To the Christians he says, ‘Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?’ (!Cor4:21). His is a father’s heart. ‘Do I come to give you a spanking or a bag of candy? It depends on your behavior.’
In chapter 5 he says to disassociate with the person (church member) who willfully, unapologetically, lives in blatant sin. He then says not to disassociate with people in the world (non-Christians/church members) who are living in willful, unrepentant sin. Paul says it’s not his job to judge those outside the church. That’s God’s job. (1cor.5:13)
Another category is then formed naturally: The Christian who battles with temptation and sin, whether it be homosexual sin, heterosexual sin, or lust, greed, etc., etc. This person isn’t seeking approval or acceptance of sin, but rather help to overcome it. This person, I would argue, needs grace and love.
So the only category that needs clear condemnation and rebuke is the Christian/church member who lives in willful, unrepentant sin and demands acceptance of it.
Somehow the world feels we are condemning and rebuking it, when apparently it’s not our job to do so.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:17-18)
These are hugely important issues for us to think through. Because as that great poet, theologian Bob Dylan once said, “The times, they are a changin’…”
peace, g
Homosexual behavior didn’t arrive here over night, nor shall it be dispensed of as quickly. It seems that those of us who believe this behavior to be wrong, immoral, or sinful, want to try and correct it from the wrong end. Quoting scripture, suggesting alterations in their behavior, treating them with hatred or even love does little for them. We can help these people when the Spirit has convicted them and they reach out for God. He can restore them, we can’t. I believe our focus should be not on the homosexual but on the children we raise. The bible teaches us to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Our work should be to continually rebuild the foundations and walls that were established by God. Keep teaching our children, attend to building the faith from the foundation, let the truth grow until it chokes out the lie.
Sin……if I am not mistaken, this is what we all are born into. We are repeatedly admonished by the Lord to hate the sin….but love the sinner. It is my understanding that those who love the Lord actually have him living inside of oneself, communing, talking, seeking guidance, etc. The Lord reveals himself, through His spirit and His people. Sometimes nothing needs to be done or said….by us, and then sometimes He leads us to say what he wants at the time. The Lord works through us to do His works and His will. Not ours. I try to leave my sinful, judgmental, persecuting ways out of it….I do this by introducing the Lord to anyone I can, in the way our Lord wishes, and by letting Him be seen in me. I do know that a sin is a sin is a sin. I believe it is not my job to condemn, but as Greg says to let it be known about the love of our Savior….who died, so that we (all) may be saved. Those saved become more and more uncomfortable in the presence of sin and sinful ways. We are to walk in the way of the Lord, after all. But….this does not mean we hate those who sin. We just hate the sin because we know that it is SIN which continues to keep us from where the Lord wants us to be….walking, talking, spreading the truth,loving and in the end, being with Him. That is the ultimate goal, and each of our walks will be and are so very different. Is there ever any one easy answer for us that WE can accept in how WE deal with people in sin? No. We can only try to introduce the ONLY answer. His name is Jesus Christ. I love you, my brothers and sisters. I love you….all who are still lost. May you find the one true answer, and if the LORD uses me in any way to help in this introduction….I say, only this…I am willing, Lord, and AMEN!
I have to agree…we didn’t get here overnight, but truthfully, I don’t think we can fix it… We will never agree on this subject and many others. In some way, those who believe we are standing in the way of “progress”, like our friend Bob.. are absolutely right. I would wear that statement as a badge of honor really, if it meant that something that I am led of God to do or say, or how I vote makes a difference in the life of one other person eternally. BUT.. God has pretty much told us how things are going to go..
You can’t legislate morality. Any more than you can legislate the church to be okay with sin. It simply won’t work because this is a crisis of the heart. A personal, individual, intimate issue that ONLY God can address. And God…. is willing to let sin take it’s full course. He sees all of this from a vantage point outside of time. He sees death as an invitation to come home. As atrocious as the issue of abortion is, God could stop it from happening tomorrow. But he doesn’t. Every single one of those unwanted, abused, murdered little children are in the presence of a Father that loves them so deeply. They win, hands down.
I will never, never be an advocate of abortion. But like any other sin, there is a course to be taken, consequences that many will have to sqare with.From the woman who makes her choice, to the father that let it happen, to the doctor that performed the act and got rich doing it and the legislators who make it available. Payday is coming somewhere down the road if you don’t accept the forgiveness that only Jesus bled for and can give.
I believe we are in for a ride. Things are going to get really, really crazy. We will see things happening in our nation that we never dreamed would. If ever there is a time to wake up from our slumber and to equip our heart and our soul with God’s word,to share it with others, the time is now. As the comming of Jesus for his church draws ever so very very close.
Whoo Hooo!!!
This conversation hits too close to home for my husband and myself. My husbands son, who is now 19 and lives with his mother in Missouri grew up in a Christian based home. Wayne is a Pastor so his son knows right from wrong. But once he went to live with his mother, she got him involved in Wicka and he now leads a homosexual lifestyle. He even dresses in drag for shows and competetions. This grieves me to no end and it hurts Wayne as well. His son is extremely smart and has a good head on his shoulders other than his two major downfalls. I know Wayne has tried to talk to him and remind him of what the Bible says, but he does not want to hear any of it. He believes that we are wrong and the only right way is paganism. Ever notice how bad things always end with an “ism”? Makes you say hmmm…. anyways back on topic. He even went as far as to tell his dad that he doesn’t want Christmas Cards that say “Merry Christmas” on them. He wants them to say “Happy Holidays” on it. I say he gets what he gets! The first year after he told his father this Wayne did not send him a Christmas Present and his son wanted to know why. Wayne told him, you don’t believe in Christ or Christmas. He celebrates a holiday known as Yule. Not Christmas. Of course that was several years ago and that has been forgotten but how can someone who was raised in the Church and knows right from wrong make such horrible decisions? And how are we supposed to handle something like this? I pray for him al the time but his mother has brainwashed him so bad that I am afraid it’s past the point of no return.
Am praying for Wayne’s son……g
hey mandie i here ya, but dont give up hope. i have a sister that was a j.w. and i tried to play bible ping pong with her, and she argued back and forth with me. i finally just gave up on fighting with her and prayed. i lived my life as a christian, and she seen what God was doing in my life. i know it tuged at her heart. she then started to get involved with an old boyfriend of hers. that was a major drug dealer in twin. so she broke up with her husband and married the low life scum of the earth, and i think greg gave a great picture of what scum is. her decline was very fast. she went from a four bedroom, three bath house on one acre. that went bye bye, she had a husband that was not the greatist husband in the world, but he tried. he kept a job, helped pay the bills, he loved my sister a lot. the kids she loved so much. their relationship was hurt too. now my sister is still struggling, but she’s trying to go to church with me, and get back on track. through it all one thing has never changed i love her so much i would die for her!!!!!!!! without blinking an eye. love your son! he knows what he is doing is wrong, and he knows how you feel, but what he wants is to be accepted unconditionally. and if he feels like you push him away. he most likely will turn from you. be kind one to another, tender hearted for giving each other just as Christ has also forgiven you eph. 4:32 wayne you are the father. a picture of Christ to him. im not saying this to be mean, or hurt you. i am your friend and i care. when i was an alcoholic and drugging idiot. evan being an that. my parents always loved me they didn’t always give me what i wanted but, now looking back my love for them is…. i cant explain it with words. i ask myself, if i were in the wrong how would i want christ to deal with me. i have a stepson that i’m having a hard time relating with. and i’m trying to learn as well.
this message is meant with love, and i hope i dont seem harsh. keep the faith. psalms 37:4
your blog buddy clay
also to powers that be we need spell check on this blog thing!!!
i’m not proud!
Mandie,
I also will be praying for your son as he is deep in his rebellion. It sounds to me like he has found a way to push the right buttons to try and hurt you and his dad. The pain of a child that has gone through a divorce can find all types of ways to inflict pain back to where they have been hurt. Because he is so intelligent he has found the most hurtful thing he can in an attempt to receive attention. Teens can be so much like little children throwing a tantrum. Yelling and screaming, beating their head against the floor for attention. Your reaction may have a great impact on how long the rebellion lasts. Love him unconditionally because he does not deserve it; just as Christ has done for his rebellious children. Pray for him and let him know that you are when you see an opportunity. As you have said, “he is extremely smart” and maybe the best thing for him is to see a Godly example of love.
~Bruce
Clay,
I have enjoyed seeing your heart through many of your blogs. It is not hard to look through a few misspelled words when the message you intend is so clear and filled with love and concern for your brothers and sisters. If your spelling is causing you grief and keeping you from sharing then you may try typing your responses in a program such as Word for Windows that uses spell check and simply copying and pasting your blog onto the website. It certainly doesn’t bother the ones who love to hear your heart.
~Bruce
hi bruce
thanks bruce that means a lot to me! to tell you the truth. i’ve been using this misspelling thing, to lighten the mood. i will check in to doing that. it doesn’t bother me at all. my biggest fear in all of this is when im sharing with every body that they do see the love i have. i feel like the letters and words kind of lose their meaning. i’ve realy enjoyed this blog stuff because i,m meeting so many people and seeing their hearts too.
i hope to keep on meeting my church family more and more. God bless you guys and i hope we can help each other in this ministry.
Hi all….long time no see. I love these blogs, and since not having a computer at home anymore, every now and then, I sneak on at work to see what y’all are talking about.
I have a story to share. About a week or so ago we had that huge windstorm. I was driving home in the dark to Buhl, my poor little car being whipped back and forth, and hitting giant tumbleweeds. My kids were a little uneasy about it and began to ask questions. My 6 yr old asked if God made the weather. I told her “of course!”. She wanted to know why He made this wind. I asked her “wouldn’t it be boring if the weather was the same all the time?” She commented further saying she didn’t like the wind and didn’t know why God made it. So, instead of simplifying, I tried to be more scientific in my answer saying that the wind does a lot of good things by blowing seeds around so things will grow everywhere and not just in one spot, whether that’s true or not, this seemed to satisfy her. My 5 year old son then piped up and asked if God controlled the weather, told me he didn’t like the wind, and that he was scared. I told him not to be afraid of the wind, God wants the best for us, and that yes, God controls everything. He then raised his left arm high in the air and leaned toward his back window looking up at the darkness and said in a loud mighty voice: “I LOVE YOU GOD! GOD, I LOVE YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST!
*sigh* That made me tear up, thinking that no wonder God talks so much about us being like a child. My son…my little 5 year old boy…is learning to trust God and use Him to calm his fears.
There are so many things in the world today that are disturbing. There doesn’t seem to be much “right” in the world anymore. Things we consider not the way of the Lord is becoming the norm. We have become the minority. Just about the only thing I want to watch on TV anymore is PBS…and ok, Fox news…..and Chuck. Haha
But this also gave me another lesson to remind myself that God IS in control and we can talk and talk until we’re blue in the face, but one thing we can know for certain is that what’s going to happen is going to happen. The Rapture is coming. In the spirit of this Thanksgiving we do have so many things to be thankful for. I do anyway. I’m thankful for my God and for Him sending His son for someone like me to be forgiven. I’m thankful for my church and my Pastor’s honest teaching of His Word. I’m thankful for a beautiful new school and for wonderful teachers so my children can learn of Jesus and PRAY and know that they live in one nation UNDER GOD. I’m thankful to live in what’s affectionately known as “my ghetto house” for free, so that I am able to send my kids to a Christian school. I’m thankful for the Lord leading me to a job where I’m not anxious about being laid off or losing it entirely. And, I’m thankful for living in a country where we still have the freedom to Praise the Lord loudly!
This was my Bible Verse on my Google desktop today:
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” Heb 12:28
AMEN!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Amen and amen Cynthia, the faith of a child… :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
c
OOohhhh…. I love that! Reminds me of when my youngest daughter (then 7) came home from a concert and told me secretly that she had gotten married to Jesus that night. :0)
God has been speaking to me also about the thankfulness. Some things have been dawning in my own heart about the attitude of gratitude. He has been quickening my ears to how much I complain… absent-mindedly even. Like a bad habit I need to shake off. I get overwhelmed at work, my day doesn’t go right, something doesn’t go my way…..I’m worn out … EWWWWW!!!! I am stinky, Man.
When I begin to ponder all that God has given to me in just the basics, I am ashamed of my pettiness.I have wonderful relationships in my life, a home that is safe and is an environment that begs me to let down and relax…. I have a partner who is amazing. But when I add to that all that God has blessed me with in addition to the basics, like a job doing something that allows me to reach people for Jesus. Skills, talents, opportunities and a life that frees me to have as much of HIM as I desire… and then compare that to what some people are going through in other parts of the world right now, fearing for their lives or the lives of their children… my shame has no where to turn except into deep repentance. Truly…. Don’t mean to throw a downer into the mix. It’s just something that has been on my mind a lot. I am deeply thankful for so much and I realize that everything I have including my next breath, the next breath of my son or daughter is a gift and that time is precious here and I should spend it wisely.
Susan
Susan, I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said “The more you complain the longer God makes you live.” ;) Now that’s something to think about.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving…
c
Point well taken Christa….Thanks!
Susan, it’s such an easy rut to get into. I love your post and it’s a great reminder to all of us! I know I can get into the “glass half empty” times without even trying. Kind of like you have to work so hard to get into an exercise routine and then with no effort at all you get out of it, lol! The good things take work…
This blogging is fun to read and inspiring, But I don’t think I will be able to fit it into a schedual all the time.
I just want to encourage you Greg. Thanks for being the willing servant you are to God and us. Thanks for trying your best to teach us the truth. Thanks for being humble and willing to admit mistakes and being quick to appologize.Thanks for being so loving.Thanks for loving the lost enough to speak the truth to them even if it hurts a little, to help them find the “WAY’ out. Thanks for being so committed. And thanks for being zelous.
We love you brother!We are praying for you.
The sermon last Sunday made me think of Two Cities not far from where we could be in a few years from now.
When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, it was the Lord who said He had heard the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah, that it was very great and their sin (including sexual immorality /
homesexuality) was very grave and He would check it out to see if the outcry was valid . He did not send Abraham but His angels to check it out and do the judging, and destruction of the wicked and delivering of any righteous people.
God shows His mercy and patience with Abraham in his continual pleading.(He had to be thinking about Lot and his family being righteous, his hope to save their lives and hope that at least 10 righteous people would be found. But he must have known the state of the two cities because of the reconsideration of the amount of the righteous possibly found)God also shows his mercy for those who would repent and follow Him and the righteous with them.
When the angels got there, they found it just like they had heard. Evidently, Lot must have been speaking the truth to the citizens about their sin because they say in verse 9 of Gen 19 ” This one(Lot)came in to stay here, and he “keeps” acting as a judge.
The angels tell Lot to get all his family members and leave, but even Lot lingers, and the angels have to grab he and his family members hands and lead them out. (vs 16 says,”the
Lord being merciful to him”)
Then once Lot and his family were out of destructions way, vs 24 says” Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens” vs 25 ” So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” He sterilized the area!
I see Abraham doing his part in praying for those he loves and having hope in God’s mercy, and He would speak the truth in love. I see Lot doing his part in speaking the truth and trying to live righteously in the wicked mess he is in. And I see God being the judge to those who would not repent of sexual immorality and turn to Him and being merciful to deliverer those who would.
God judges the unsaved in their sin. We speak the truth in love to the believing and the unbelieving. God helps them to see their sin, they must choose to repent. We must love and pray for them and speak as God would ask us to. The Lord must do what needs to be done to bring them to repentance. We must hope for their salvation and return to God’s feet.
We know what to expect from this world, but what promises we have from God to hold on to!
I like what our Lord said about Abraham just before the calamity of these two cities. Gen 18:19
“For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him”
I believe we are to live in Christ and to teach our children and those after them to keep the ways of the Lord and how to live in this world in Christ with righteousness and justice. When we train up our children in the truth and in the way they should go(that being in Christ’s way not the world’s) That even if they get off track and follow the desires of their wicked hearts or the influence of the prince of the air, that if we were faithful to do the first and if we diligently pray and extend our love during the hard trial of rebellion and waywardness, then like the prodigal son, they will eventually see how much they need the Father and will hopefully come running back home. This is my hope and prayer for all of us grieving over a seemingly lost loved one.
“When I am stupid, LORD, lingering in my sinful desire, have mercy on me, slap me in the face if need be and take me by the hand and drag me to safety.” ch
awwwwww my friend cindy!!!! great to read you here!!! thanks for sharing! ill be seeing you saturday!!!
heidi
Bruce and Clay,
I just want to say thankyou to both of you for your words of encouragement. They have me to see where I am wrong and my husband is doing exactly what he should be doing. I am trying to change. And thanks for the prayer Pastor G! It was very much appreciated!
mandie,
no problemo!
Hey Heidi,Thanks, I love you.
I’m trying to contact you by phone.
I left you a note on the vampire blog, so if you are reading this, go there please.
Thanks a million, cindy
Pastor Greg,
This is off of the subject of movies or anything else on here for that matter but I feel led to share this.
A couple of weeks ago you shared about how Christians have to have thick skin and how you have acquired one throughtout the years of your being a pastor. You also shared that the reason why is because of persacution and people saying mean things. You shared a specific story about how sometimes you get some harsh and mean letters, emails, etc. Well, on the opposite side of that, I want you to know that you have been a HUGE blessing to me, my friends and family. You are an amazing teacher. I look forward to coming to church to hear your teachings. God has blessed you mightily. The love and adoration that you have for the Lord shows through in the way you teach and share His word. I ask everyone I know to come to church with me so they can hear you teach as well.
I pray for you and the rest of the staff at Lighthouse. You all are an awsome blessing.
Thank you for your dedication.
Many Blessings,
Rene’ Turner
WOW!!!
I could not agree more. praise God for greg, ron, dan, and all the staff that make lighthouse what it is today. there’s no place i’d rather be.
when i say that i dont mean it as a joke. i can’t express the love in words, that i feel for my pastor and family at lighthouse.
i work at aplace where you see alot backbiting and tearing people down, so i like to lift people up. and hear i forget to do that, so consider this a soul lift.
god bless you greg and all that make lighthouse the best church anywhere!
Well according to the newspaper today those who voted for the ban on homosexual unions are “uneducated religious types”. I guess I can say thank you because it was the pharisees and saducees (spelling), the educated ones who were the accusers and the prosecutors against Jesus. I am so glad that my wisdom comes from the Lord.
Thank you Renee and Clay. It is truly an honor to be a part of what God is doing at Lighthouse….g
what kind of example is our country setting to allow gay marriage in some states. Our country was founded on christian principles and the good lord made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. I dont mean to be harsh but homosexuality is a sin i wouldnt want in my neighborhood or around my children. If all the churches would pool together their resources and fight gay marriage. It would probably be eliminated all together. We need to show the rest of the world that gay marriage is not even a consideration.
But just because we ban gay marriages (even if the church could, we seem to have so little say anymore) does not mean that homosexuality would cease to exsist. They would still be there and crying to everyone that their equal rights were taken away from them. I am NOT defending them in anyway, I totaly agree with you, but that is what would happen. You could not force them to be with someone of the opposite sex. My sister saw so much of it when she was at Twin Falls High School. And she has even seen some of those kids in our church! Being a part of ministry moments and everything. She was sickened by it. These kids claim to be bi sexuals and homosexuals at school and then show up at Lighthouse on Sundays like they belong. WOW!
im sorry but why wouldnt they belong, they are in a place that they can hear the truth, we should rejoice, not exclude… not ban them from entering…. you never know what is said, what is expressed, and who would reach out and their hearts might be turned…. god can work, dont limit him by excluding those that might be disgusting to you…. god loves them and wants them in a place that they might here him. he would sine with them, heal them, and have fellowship to give them the opportunity to really see his love and grace… how can we be so pious to say we cant so the same.
typo…. dine, not sine…..
and…do, not so…. sorry!
I agree to a point. As christians we need to set an example of love and forgiveness and be non judgmental, BUT, they need to know what they are doing is wrong and repent. To think it is o.k. or they may think, god made me this way or have some excuse. This is not accepteable. If they do not repent in a reasonable time period, the procedure would be to confront the person with the sin, if they dont repent you go to the church and the church should talk to them. If they dont repent again they should be shunned from the church. I am pretty sure that active homosexuals would be asked to leave the church if they refuse to repent. [ THIS IS MY OPINION ] Yes, we are all sinners but as christians we must try to live our lives by the bible the way our lord has asked us to live our lives. In the old testimate you would not want to be a homosexual. Two angels destroyed sodom and gomora because the city was out of control with homosexuality and other sin and i believe turned lots wife into a pillar of salt for just looking back at the city when told not to. I believe it was considered an abomination and homosexuals were actually stoned to DEATH. I BELIEVE that is in Genisis. Also i believe homosexuality is talked about in the 1st chapter of Romans. I think the bible sais that homosexuality is so bad it actually twists the flesh. What ever that means. By any means you do not want to change the glory of the truth of God into a lie. I am not very good with scripture so dont quote me on anything.
I think that one day San Francisco might just fall off into the ocean and i think you all know what i mean by that !!
I think banning gay marriage would be a very good start. Our country was founded on christian principles and there are alot of bad lawyers and people trying to change that by taking the ten commandments out of parks, legalizing gay marriage, the list goes on and on. Our country needs to STICK to christian principles.
Yes Rene and Clay,
The lord Truly has his hand on and has blessed Greg, the pastors and staff and i am sure there will be great places for them in heaven. Their accountability is huge and they do not have an easy job at times. I am sure it can be over whelming but the lord is very good. I tell the lighthouse story all the time to clients and people I meet. It is a good witnessing tool.
Greg is a rock star in Gods eyes i am sure. And i hear people rave about how blessed and tallented he is all the time, even people that dont go to our church, we are all very proud to be part of the coolest church in town !!!!
with… the coolest pastors !!!
Those letters and emails were written by people and our faith is not in people.
Again, God bless you guys for such dedication, hard work and commitment to our lord and church.
Heidi,
I am not saying that they should not be allowed in the church. I agree that they need to be there. BUT, I feel that they should not be allowed to be in front of the church, they should be in the congregation only to be feed and ultimately decide where their true convivtions lie. If we allow them to represent the church in any way, we are saying that their lifestyle is ok with us. Greg even said in a sermon recently that homosexuals did not have a right to be in the church. I don’t think he meant that they should not come, but they should not be able to participate in Communion, Ministry Moments, singing or whatever else puts them in front of the church.
thank you mandie for the extra insight, your first comment didnt say in ministry…. i agree… so we are on the same page…. i just pray that all of those who have a heart for this group of individuals stay humble and open to ministering to them…
blessings,
heidi