I want to start off this week with an article published on World Net Daily .... "Evangelical minister calls to embrace LGBT" .... It goes on to say, "An influential Evangelical minister has declared his support for monogamous and loving same-sex relationships, and called on the Church to stop treating 'gay' people as pariahs. ... The Reverend Steve Chalke, a Baptist minister who founded the Christian charity Oasis, says the time has come for the Church to demonstrate its compassion and commitment to 'inclusivity'."
My comment to this article was as follows ... "another one 'bites the dust' ... While I agree with his statement that we should stop treating them as pariahs, I can NEVER agree that we should accept a lifestyle that is specifically singled out as sin in the Bible."
If we look around at today's 'landscape' concerning the Church, we see compromise at almost every level.
Allow me to list just a few obvious ones ....
*The 'Avoidance' Doctrine - 'Don't talk about it and it will go away' mentality ... Joel Osteen is a classic example of this type of teaching. .. When asked specifically about homosexuality and if it has a place in the Church, his answer was something like 'I have people in my Church who have opinions either way. I choose not to go there." ...... How tragic! .... This man reaches literally thousands of people every week, and chooses to avoid the subject of sin? ... amazing! ... and sadly, he is not the only one. ... The 'seeker-friendly' mentality now permeates the American Church. .... So what does Jesus think of this approach? ...No one in Scripture spoke more of judgement than Jesus. .. No picture or illustrations of judgement are more intense and sobering than those Jesus portrayed. ..... Should we do any less?!
*There's more than one way to Heaven - This 'universal' approach to this doctrine is becoming more widespread by the day ... but here again, the Bible is very specific as to 'how' & 'who' is the way ... Only Jesus! ... Just one example is the one verse most of the world has heard ... John 3:16 .. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM shall not perish but have eternal life." (emphasis mine). ... I just don't see the merit of discussion on this point.
*Abortion - We are now a nation that openly supports this form of 'murder' .... statistics show that the majority of the country supports it. .... We mourn the death of the 20 children at Newtown, as we should, but we turn our eyes away from the other 55 million babies that have been slaughtered. ... The hypocrisy is beyond my comprehension!
*The Institution of Marriage - Simply, marriage is quickly becoming 'obsolete' in our society. ... More and more couples are choosing not to engage in the 'official' ceremony. ... Even our country's laws in many instances favor people that don't 'tie the knot' ....Just another 'slap in the face' concerning God's laws ....
There's so many more but you get the point .... So what has happened to the 'sound doctrine' the Bible so clearly teaches? ... Well, let's start with 1 Timothy 4:1 which says, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." ... One more example is in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 which states, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
In fact, these 'deceivers' are now coming out with their own versions of the Bible, which they call translations, that basically eliminate anything and everything that makers them uncomfortable, or makes it too difficult to follow ... to 'adjust' the words to fit what they think is now acceptable ... to be 'relevant' ... verses that speak specifically against moral perversion or homosexuality are either altered , or eliminated from these 'new age' versions.
...One of the 'modern-day' myths concerning homosexuality is that many say the subject is only specifically addressed in the Old Testament ... and that the New Testament has a different attitude toward it. ... O really!
... Let me once again let the Bible destroy this myth ... 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says this ... "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10) nor thieves nor the greedy nor the drunkards nor the slanderers nor the swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God." ... Here's just one more ... Romans 1:26-27 says, "... God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27) In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." ... Now both of these Scriptures are found in the New Testament. .... Here's just a few more for your own study ... Matthew 15:19, Acts 15:20,29 & 21:25, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 & 10:8, Galations 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 1 Timothy 1:8-11, Jude 7, Hebrews 12:16 & 13:4, Revelations 2:14 & 20, 21:8 & 22:12-16 .. That should be sufficient to show the deception concerning the issue of immorality, including the now nationally accepted practice of homosexuality.
I don't want to get too lengthy here, but I want to share another example of what can happen when we turn our backs on sinful behavior spelled out in the Bible. .... I'm now teaching a class on Revelation, and we are currently 'walking' through the seven churches of chapters 2 & 3. In many instances, we see the sin of immorality slip into their midst. Two such are Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) and Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29). ... In both cases, the sin of sexual immorality was allowed to creep in ... and in both examples, harsh judgement was promised. .. Christ Himself said that He "will fight this sin with the sword of His mouth" (vs.16) ... and in the other, that "they would suffer intensely ... I will strike her children dead." (vs. 20) ... Doesn't get much clearer than that.
As for deception, Romans 16:17-18 speaks to it clearly ... "I urge you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18) For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (also see Ephesians 5:6-7) .... and that is exactly what is happening in our world today. People are falling for all this false teaching, and as a consequence, are putting themselves in jeopardy.
... and this is an alarming point to be made here ... we who hold to the true teachings of Scripture are becoming the ONLY religious group NOT tolerated in today's society. ... We are seen as 'intolerant' because we take what the Bible says 'literally' and hold to the teaching that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven. .... But knowing Scripture, we are aware that it would be this way in these final days leading up to our Lord's return ... and because of this knowledge, I know that I will be able to stand against whatever comes my way ....
Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:37-39 that ... "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark: 39) and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."
.... and sadly, many who think they know, but are willing to compromise the truth of His Word will face this moment, spoken of by Christ Himself in Matthew 7:21-23 ... "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 22) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23) Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "
My prayer is for each of you, in that when you read this, you will look at your own walk .... at what your pastors and teachers are telling you ... at how willing you may be to 'accept' anything that is contrary to the Word of God.... Yes, we are to love all and testify the truth to as many as we can while there is still time ... but we are NEVER to 'sell out' His word just to make someone feel better, or to not risk offending them ... Think of it this way.. by NOT telling them ... to avoid the subject of sin ... may cause them 'eternal' consequences. .... Personally, I'm not willing to take that chance .... and even if they get angry with you, they at least might 'think about it' in their quiet times.
Keep up the 'good fight and stay the course .... The Lord is coming soon and His blessings will be beyond imagination!!! ......... and know that I am praying for each of you ......................
Until next time,
Red