Homophobia, really?

Waking up this morning was a delight! I know my Redeemer Lives! Since I gave my life to the Only Savior Jesus Christ, life has been tough but very rewarding. The only and greatest thing I have ever experienced is seeing my sins Washed away in the Divine Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross! As I drank my coffee this morning I was reading an article written by a Christian concerning homosexuality. He was debating and lamenting over the so called scientific evidence that homosexuals are born that way. I desire not to rant and rave about whether homosexuality is a sin or not, because that is a non issue with God! He says that it is a sexual sin, Period! What I do desire is to make a few comments that hopefully will clarify, for any Christian who reads this post, will agree with God. It matters not at all if you agree or disagree with me on any issue that God's Word clearly tackles. A preacher friend of mine read the article about the scientific evidence that homosexuals are born that way and was somewhat perplexed stating; “if they are born homosexual then they are not responsible and we as preachers cannot address this issue because they cannot help themselves.” My jaw about hit the floor! After a few moments lamenting his ignorant statement I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to rebuke Him with the Truth in Love! Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We are all born sinful and are in need of Redemption regardless of scientific evidence! Homosexuality is a sin, just as lying, cheating, stealing, idolatry, hatred, unforgiving, drunkenness and coveting. We must understand as Christians that homosexuals are born sinful just as you and I are born sinful. We all Must repent of sin and be Born again in Christ! There is an argument about whether homosexual is a choice. Well, hello! We all have a choice! Continue to live in sin and refuse New Birth in Christ and go to Hell or choose repentance and be Born Again! Many people try to justify their behavior by pointing to other behavior. Sin is Sin regardless! Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 1John 3:8 “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” So the Truth is we Christians must Preach and Teach there is a New Life in Christ through Repentance and Rebirth! We Christians must not be homophobic or bashing them with Bible verses, for they cannot understand the Truth until they are Born again. We must Point them to Jesus! Show them how Jesus has changed your life! Show them they can also receive forgiveness. Tell them the Truth in Love. Tell them they Must be Born Again!

Pass through the Transformer!

Consider this passage of Scripture; Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual {1 Or } act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I am going to bring testimony of the Transforming power of the Holy Spirit! As I had devotions with my sister last night, thoughts flooded my cranium. I started to think about the Holy Spirit’s Presence and how He has brought conviction and Salvation to some family members through the teaching and Preaching of the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ! My dad for instance, used to be full of bitterness and anger, until knowledge of Jesus came to him by the Holy Spirit. My dad has changed so much in recent years. His life is full of joy and peace. His face is happy! His love for others has changed to the point where he is always talking with people about Jesus. This is a testimony of how Jesus can change a persons life from the inside out! The phrase, “in view of God’s Mercy” has a defining place in my dads lie now. He seeks to please God now through offering himself to the Holy Spirit to enable him to live a holy life. To know that the Almighty God has forgiven his offenses fills his lips with gratitude. You know, if you dear reader need a new start, surrender to Jesus. God wants to fill your heart with peace and joy as well. The second part of the verse we are considering brings to mind the mindless folly this world system offers. You can have it if you choose. Paul the Apostle tells us not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world. What does that mean? Glad you asked! 1John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world-- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world.
17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” The world system leads to misery, deception, lust and the ultimate destruction of your soul! Everything this world has to offer pulls us away from the Living God! Another reason Paul tells us to not conform to the worlds system is you will become God’s enemy. James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Now lets look at the rest of Paul”s instruction. Being Transformed by the renewing of your mind can only happen by the Inspired Word of God as taught by the Holy Spirit. To illustrate this concept let us view God’s Word as a plow. Your heart is hard and fallow. Sin and the world system is pounding at your heart daily. For we know Scripture says that sin hardens the heart. The Word of God will soften our hearts and bring nourishment. Listen to an Old Testament Prophet. Hosea 10:12" Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” That is precisely what happened to my dad! That can happen to you as well! Unless of course you continue to reject the Holy Spirit’s conviction and remain a Worldling! Another illustration could be an electric pole. If you go out and touch the wires, your dead! That electricity is powerful and deadly. So is sin! If you ran the wires directly to your house it will burn it down. In fact the electricity must pass first through the transformer then into your home before it can be used in a useful and constructive way. Well the Gospel of Jesus Christ ( death, burial and Resurrection of Christ) as made known by the Holy Spirit is the Transformer! Be like my dad and give your life to Jesus. He will bring a new life and new start. The Holy Spirit will give you understanding beyond that of a thousand Theologians! Just a few thoughts. Peace!

Need a Faith-lift?

A Psalm of Thanksgiving!

Let us all consider the bounty we enjoy and to Whom we owe our Thanks. I am not sure who will read this blog entry but I know whom I give Thanks! I know that Atheist have no one to thank and will not admit the bounty they enjoy comes from a source other than man. I dare not try to convinced them of their folly. But for all who read this and know there is a God, this blog entry is for you! I will attempt to illuminate a deep need in our Churches today. Where is the Gratitude? Where is the shouting for joy? Where is the crying with happiness? Where is the Love for our Creator? Maybe you do not see a problem with your Church. My observation of the people within my parish is somewhat discouraging. I hear more complaints and murmurings than rejoicing and contentment. Church seems to be a place of joy suckers rather than joy givers! I do not intend to feel sorry for myself or belittle the folks within the Church, but only to point to a great need! Psalm 100 is the focus of this devotion.

1 A psalm. For giving thanks. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
To giving thanks is the simplest of things. Did you know that it is the Will of God for you to always give Thanks? Every circumstance and situation should be first handled with Thanksgiving. Trouble, heartache, illness, pain and even death can be a time to give Thanks. It says SHOUT for JOY to the LORD. Maybe we as Christians need to get a little rowdy at times as we shout to the Lord from the gratitude of our hearts! The Hebrew word for joy is; to split the ears (with sound), i.e. shout (for alarm or joy). Making a joyful noise to the Lord does not count if only you can hear it. I am not saying that God is deaf, only that many around you are when it comes to the Lord! We as God’s people should be the most joyful people on the Earth for the Great Things He has Done! He has bestowed upon us Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ without cost to you! God has given us His Holy Spirit to work in and through us to bring about His Will and Purpose for our lives, which includes Joy. Here are a few thoughts about ingratitude and complaining. 1). Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy. -Franklin 2). Ten minutes’ praying is better than a year’s murmuring. -Spurgeon 3). Ingratitude dries up the fountain of all goodness. -Richelieu 4). A pessimist is one who feels bad when he feels good for fear he’ll feel worse when he feels better. -Anonymous Let us be Thankful and Joyful and not be joy suckers!

2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
The Hebrew word used for worship denote being in bondage. Worship or serving the Lord is the Purpose of our existence! If we fail to be enslaved by the Glory of God in Christ Jesus then we fail at Worship. Jesus is the object of devotion to Christians! Christ gives us the Eternal Spirit to lead us into True Spiritual worship of the Eternal Father. John 4, teaches us this awesome Truth! Now to address the attitude of gladness. Think for a moment about your personal worship time, not corporate worship with other believers, but intimate worship. Soul Worship! Do you come to God with gladness? The Hebrew word for gladness is; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):–X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing). Notice, when we come to God it should be festive and pleasureful! There is a time for brokenness and sorrow in our hearts, but not when it come to worship! Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Sing with Glee! Triumph full worship will lift your soul beyond the physical and elevate your relationship with the Living God!

3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
When we do come before His Glorious Presence in worship let us always remember the He is God. That He is Holy, Pure, Righteous and the Bestower of Grace and Mercy! He is our Creator and He alone through His Son Jesus Christ gives us Substance! He bought us with His own Blood, shed on the Cross, and we are His! Jesus has given access to His Father and the Comforter for our Empowerment! Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” That is why we are here! Jesus is our Shepherd. He leads us beside Still waters. He Restore our Souls and fills our cups! Know Him or die is the theme of the Bible. So, do you know Him?

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Make no mistake, Jesus and only Jesus, has given us the Freedom to enter the Throne of Grace. We cannot enter the Most Holy Place without first being Washed in His Blood! So when we enter, come with Thanksgiving! Prayer is the topic of this verse and we should, as Jesus instructed us in His Model Prayer, come with praise on our lips. His court is set and His Holiness is Ruling on our behalf by the Righteous acts of His Son! Hallowed is His Name! If there was ever a pressing need within the hearts of men, this is it! Reverence and Praise are due His Name! Let us never come to His Throne with grumbling’s and complaints without first giving His due!
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
The Lord of Heaven, Lord of Earth is always GOOD! Everything He does is for our Good. He never acts out of Character. His Character is always Holy, Pure, Gracious, Merciful, Just and Loving! No one is good, no not one is the theme of Romans 3. But through His Great Love for us He sent His only begotten Son to carry our sins to the Cross and shed His life’s Blood to make us the Righteousness of God the Father! He alone is Good! He alone is Loving without strings! He alone is faithful to all mankind! This is for all time, from Eternity to Eternity, without end! So, have you giving Him Thanks yet? Do you know Him who Created you? Praise His Holy Name! Jeshua, Jesus, Master, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace is whom I serve, whom do you Worship?

I wonder, where do YOU fit?

“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.” Abraham Lincoln Let us consider with humility what one of America’s most loved President said during our Nation’s civil war. Let us also try and apply this statement to America today. Can it be conceived, that after the passing of many years since that Great President spoke those words, how far this Nation has fallen from the God who has Created us and Blessed us as a Nation? Intoxicated with self! The only word to describe the masses is Narcissism! The definition’s are as follows; 1. inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. 2. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes. 3. an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance 4. sexual satisfaction derived from contemplation of one's own physical or mental endowments. Most in America seem to be so self consumed to see their need of Redemption! Their need of a Savior! Their need of humility! Their need of God’s Grace and Mercy! The Bible speaks volumes about the Depravity of this Human condition. God Created mankind with a Free choice. “Choose Him and live or choose to go your own way and die!” Hell is ever expanding and making room for mankind who’s choice is their own way! Make no mistake about it, God does not want anyone to Perish in the Lake of Fire. He wants all to come to the Knowledge of the His Son Jesus. He wants all to see the futility of their own thinking and humble themselves! He wants all mankind to Repent of Self! No person can be saved without first being humbled and repentant. Self Pride, Self centeredness, Self reliance, Self sufficiency, Self indulgence and Selfishness are self destroying! Listen to this story that Jesus told concerning this topic. Luke 18:9 “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about {11 Or } himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." So dear reading, where do you fit in this parable? Have you humbled your self and ask God to have Mercy on you for Christ sake? Have you not seen your sinfulness? Your Narcissism? Your Pride? Do you not know that you need to Repent? May God have Mercy on me a sinner should be the cry of your soul! If we as Americans continue to be self sufficient and self consuming we will see America Self Destruct! As Ronald Reagan once said, “If we are not a Nation under God, we will be a Nation gone under!”

Thoughts of God's Mercy and Grace!

As I sit here today and ponder the Greatness of God’s Mercy, I am acutely aware of my inabilities. It is truly a humbling thing to see yourself through the eyes of Scripture and see your shortcomings! I am reminded of the following Holy text; Psalm 103:8 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” and Lamentations 3:19 “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” To think of the Mercies of God and that He never treats us as our rebellion deserves is absolutely a humbling thought. The Lord Jesus is and was always seeking the downcast, sick, blind, oppressed and those in bondage. As Isaiah puts it “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn...” Today is the day of Mercy and salvation! I know that no matter what happens today in life I can trust in the Mercies of God. To think otherwise would be raping my own soul. In case there are some reading this post and do not know or have never experienced God’s Mercy and Grace, please allow me to define these two Attributes of the Almighty. God’s Grace can be defined as God giving you what you do not deserve. Grace is kindness, goodness and love all rapped up as a gift. Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” God’s Mercy can be defined as God does not give us what we deserve. Psalm 103:10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Mercy is an act of God as well and can only be bestowed on those who fear Him! Never can either one of these Attributes come upon a person who is proud and who think God owes it to them! Jesus told us a Parable concerning His Fathers Mercy and Grace; “Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." That is as simple as it gets. Salvation is God’s Mercy and Grace! Salvation can be received only by turning to Jesus in Faith! Thank you God for your Great Mercy on me a mere sinful man and thank you for the Gift of Grace through your Son Jesus Christ. AMEN!