Gays in the Church

While I definitely don't agree with the bulk of the comments made by many members of the "religious community" on Larry King, at least it resulted in bringing something to public attention that needs to be talked about. Because whether one likes it or not, the Bible makes it pretty clear that 1) sin seperates us from God, 2) homosexuality is a sin, and 3)Hell is a literal place of eternal seperation from God and we ultimately choose it for ourselves if we refuse to accept His soverignity in our lives.

What is heartbreaking is the number of people on blogs I've read that seem to think Christianity is just about how they feel with God. And if it feels right, regardless of the sin, then clearly, they say, it is. And it is, literally, a damning perspective.

The biggest arguement one seems to hear is, I was born that way so it's okay. Let's look at that.

What does it matter if they are born that way? Obviously, we're all born into a sinful flesh that has different predispositions. Some people are habitual liars, thiefs, adulters, or practicing homosexuals. Homosexuality would be a terrible sin to suffer from because of the condemnation that society throws its way. And I agree that someone who is a liar (fill in the blank with any other sin) is just as guilty as a practicing homosexual. But we can choose whether we are the master of our flesh through Christ and the Spirit or whether we are slaves to sin (Romans 7).

Romans 8 makes it clear: "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." But to be IN Christ, you have to turn to Him in repentant faith. Which means that you are going to mess up and you are going to keep sinning. But you aren't allowing the sin to rule your life and define you.

It comes down to if you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Because if you do, you'll accept that God revealed everything men needed to know then (as it talks about in the end of Revelation). God loves us all. Jesus inspired the saying "Hate the sin but love the sinner." But by His Holy nature, sin will be cast into Hell, an eternal seperation from God. But if we hold onto it (myself included), it's not His fault where we are going to end up.

I'm not judging, and I'm speaking the truth in love. But truth, by nature, is exclusive. For instance, both Christianity and Islam can't be correct; they contradict each other. And in the same way, the philosophy on homosexuality can't run both ways too. And if no one speaks the truth, and praise God for those who have, then how will those people know that they need Christ?

Lo! He comes with clouds descending

Charles Wesley:

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

Every island, sea, and mountain,
Heav’n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate Him must, confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day:
Come to judgment! Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come to judgment! Come away!

Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All His saints, by man rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
See the day of God appear!

Answer Thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten, Lord, the general doom!
The new Heav’n and earth t’inherit,
Take Thy pining exiles home:
All creation, all creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids Thee come!

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!
Everlasting God, come down!

===============
Oh that we may echo that song in our hearts. Come quickly Lord Jesus, and claim the kingdom.

Hallelujah

Larry King part Duex

Well folks...Dr. Mohler did not disappoint on tonight's "Larry King Live". King was featuring a round table discussion on the Episcopal convention to decided on ordaining gay bishops. Surrounded by Anglicans, Catholics, and others - Mohler - the lone Southern Baptist, gave a "no-holds barred" testimony to the inerrancy of Scripture, and the need for repentance among the so-called gay Christian community.

Not bowing down to King and the consistent pushes for ecumenicalism, Mohler took a stand on the Word of God, and let the Truth be known. Going into the interview, I remarked to one of my buddies, that "Mohler ain't gonna make the same spineless mistake that Olsteen* made", and Praise the Lord, I was not disappointed.

It wasn't surprising that King kept Mohler's time to a minimal, seeing as everytime Dr. Mohler spoke, he silenced his opponents. I would like to see a King v. Mohler one-on-one interview one of these days...

Anyways...I hope dear pastor Joel was taking notes tonight, about how to represent the Christ Gospel, and not the Prosperity Gospel. My favorite quote of the show was this:

KING: Reverend Mohler, don't you sympathize with that?

MOHLER: I sympathize with every single human heart wishing to know the one true and living God, but I believe there is only one way that can happen through Jesus Christ and the gospel is about repenting of sin, not celebrating it. A church that buys into the logic of Bishop Griswold is a church that's obligated to ordain homosexuals openly and unrepentant or anyone else because it's moved away from the clear authority of scripture.

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*- FYI: below is a partial transcript from "Larry King Live" - aired June 20, 2005 with Joel Osteen.

Larry King: "What if you're Jewish or Muslim, you don't accept Christ at all?"

Joel Osteen: "You know, I'm very careful about saying who would and wouldn't go to heaven. I don't know..."

Larry King: "If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They're wrong, aren't they?"

Joel Osteen: "Well, I don't know if I believe they're wrong.

A Hymn, and some Baptist news

For those who know me well, it is not difficult to discover my love of hymns of the faith, or my regard for the SBC. Being the case, I'd like to include a few hymns a week on our blog to "get y'alls spiritual blood flowing", so to speak. And today, opine on the search for the new president of the Convention.

Isaac Watts:
Eternal Power, Whose high abode
Becomes the grandeur of a God,
Infinite lengths beyond the bounds
Where stars resolve their little rounds!

The lowest step around Thy seat,
Rises too high for Gabriel’s feet;
In vain the favored angel tries
To reach Thine height with wond’ring eyes.

There while the first archangel sings,
He hides his face behind his wings,
And ranks of shining thrones around
Fall worshiping, and spread the ground.

Lord, what shall earth and ashes do?
We would adore our Maker, too;
From sin and dust to Thee we cry,
The Great, the Holy, and the High.

Earth from afar has heard Thy fame,
And worms have learned to lisp Thy Name;
But, O! the glories of Thy mind
Leave all our soaring thoughts behind.

God is in Heaven, and men below;
Be short our tunes, our words be few;
A solemn reverence checks our songs,
And praise sits silent on our tongues.


And as for the nominees:
I pray the right man gets the job. As the 2004 Presidential elections were arguably one of the most important of our time, this SBC election has much weighed in the balance. Baptist should take much care to place God's man in this role, not America's man, or the Numbers man. That being said, and not to puff ourselves up, I believe Al Mohler hit the nail on the had in reminding all of us that we've been blessed as a denomination -- while others are debating same-sex marriage, and inerrancy of the Scripture, Baptist have the luxury of bringing the debate to doctrinal issues such as Calvinism v. Arminianism. Amen for that.

Armstrong - The Race He's Not In

With the not-so recent news of Lance Armstrong's vindication from the allegations of drug use, I was reminded of a conversation that I had with a buddy of mine that sparked some heated debate. I noticed that he was one of the growing number of folks who started wearing one of those yellow Lance Armstrong "Livestrong" bracelets. Knowing my buddy's Christian standards, but also knowing that we two have differed numerous times in matters that lacked clear biblical doctrine, I decide to press him on the issue...

Should a Christian actively support a 'wholly' secular (pardon the pun), and in this case, avowedly atheistically founded and run organization, such as the Lance Armstrong Foundation?

I will be the first congratulate him on his record setting wins in the Tour de Lance. He's one of the premiere athletes of our time. But should Christians give this cancer surviving, race winning celebrity a 'free pass' as far as our own personal responsibility to the Gospel goes? Does the good the Foundation does, outweigh his enmity towards Jesus Christ?

First, take a look on what he wrote about what he believes:

"Quite simply, I believed I had a responsibility to be a good person, and that meant fair, honest, hardworking, and honorable. If I did that, if I was good to my family, true to my friends, if I gave back to my community or to some cause, if I wasn't a liar, a cheat, or a thief, then I believed that should be enough. At the end of the day, if there was indeed some Body or presence standing there to judge me, I hoped I would be judged on whether I had lived a true life, not on whether I believed in a certain book, or whether I'd been baptized. If there was indeed a God at the end of my days, I hoped he didn't say, "But you were never a Christian, so you're going the other way from heaven." If so, I was going to reply, "You know what? You're right. Fine." ...for more.

Now take a look for a moment if you will- What message does HIS Foundation send its patients? Surely it is not one with a biblical perspective, at the very least. Armstrong has made it quite clear that he does not believe God healed him of cancer, but the kind folks at Brystol-Meyer Squibbs. And no doubt he preaches that belief at Livestrong. Their website boast of giving cancer patients the tools to "live life on their own terms". That seems quite a bit different from the bible calling believers to live their lives on God's terms.

But what is a believer to do? Only seek cancer treatment and help from 'certified' Christian health professionals? Effectively inculcate themselves from unbelieving health care providers? Upon pondering this point, it is striking, that the first place that folks go when they are sick in the bible is to the Lord, and His servants.
2 Samuel 12:15-16, 1 Kings 14:1-3, Matthew 4:24, Mark 6:55, Acts 5:15, Acts 28:8, etc.

My point is not to convert myself or anyone else to the Christian Science view of medicine (far from it), nor to cause undue grief to those seeking the best cancer treatment available -- it is just to ask you to look past the catchy slogan, and flashy rubber bracelet to the man, the foundation, and the theology that they are most definitely preaching to the world; and remember that GOD is the one who heals. He is the Great Physician, and let us not forget it. Does he use doctors? Of course! Medicine? Amen! But HE wills it...not Lance Armstrong, or anyone else for that matter.

I'll leave you with a few questions:
How much "good" does one have to do to forego a personal belief in Jesus Christ?
And who are WE to give our "rubber" stamp of approval?

Worship Wars?

This morning in a local baptist church, I listened to a young preacher from Indiana give the sermon (2004 SBTS graduate). I couldn't help but smile at the spirit that he had. Ready to go out and tackle the world, taking no prisoners. Perhaps it was his youth, or perhaps it was because he was 'just passing thru', but he said somethings that that particular church had needed to hear for a while -- but no preacher had the unction to tell them. Well he said it.

His text was out of Micah, the well known "What does the Lord require of thee?" verse. His message was on True Worship. The point that I'm am quite sure he ruffled some feathers was upon his discussing what he deemed, "Worship Wars", or the battle between Contemp. worship vs. Traditional worship. During this portion of his sermon, he got a number of hearty "AMEN"s and I'm sure a few icy stares from both sides. And he got me wondering...

Why is there a 'war' in the first place? Is it worth fighting? And who is on the 'right' side?

What do you think?

Ambassadors for Christ

In Jesus' final teaching recorded in Matthew (chapter 28), called the Great Commission, Jesus said the following:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Now, I think this passage may have been done an injustice by labeling it the great commission. In actuality, it is the great Command. It is not optional, it is not voluntary. Romans 6 (and numerous other Bible passages) talk about we are to be slaves to Christ. Now a slave does not live for his agenda, but rather, for the agenda of his Master.

So Christ cleared wanted, demanded, us to teach people the Gospel, and Paul echoes that numerous times by calling us ambassadors to Christ.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20.

Peter says the same thing in 1 Peter 3:13-15:

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence

Now, gentleness and reverence are keys in this verse. We aren't going to win souls for Christ by being jerks. But we are called to make a defense to others and represent the Lord's cause, NOT OURS.

A US ambassador to another country represents the US. He does not speak on his own behalf and he does not represent his agenda. He is just the messenger. He doesn't change or alter the message; he just delivers it. We're called to do nothing less.

In this age where Satan has largely perpetrated the lies that all truth is relative and man is basically good and the church is not important, so many Christians are finding themselves at odds to deal with the many attacks of trying to make the Bible more politically correct. People say that if God is all loving and wants us to be happy, why not support homosexual marriages? After all, it's not the person's fault they are that way, right? Or, there are so many religions in the world, why be so condemning to say that more than 2/3rds of the world will die not knowing Christ and go to Hell? He isn't the only way, right? Not to mention all that talk about Hell. I mean really, how could a good God throw someone into Hell?? Things like modesty, women's (and men's) submission, God's authority... heck, all parts of the Bible are under attack.

But I've realized something. I don't have to apologize for the Bible. Even if I don't understand it, if God says it, that's good enough for me. Why else are we commanded to have faith? And the Bible is more than capable to stand up for itself, via science, history, creation, or any of the hundreds of ways that prove the truth of His word.

And if we truly claim to know God's character, than we should hate what he hates and love what he loves. And we're just ambassadors; the message is NOT ours to amend in any way. The Bible is EXACTLY the way He wants it.

I know I've at times shied away from evangelism because I didn't want to come across as sounding superior and saying that others were wrong. But listen to what D.A. Carson wrote in his book, Becomming Conversant with the Emerging Church:

Evangelism, understood to be proselytization, is often viewed in the broad culture as intrinsically obnoxious, because no matter how gently it is done, it cannot avoid giving the impression that Christians think that have something superior. Otherwise, what would be the point of trying to win others to their camp?

We do have something superior, but not by anything of us, but by God. The book of Hebrews methodically outlines the superiority of Christianity over Judaism, but it's superior to all other religions too. And if God says something, and someone tells me different, they are wrong. And if we never tell people that there is a right and there is a wrong and Jesus is the only right and truth and way to Heaven, then they will never feel obligated to know Him as their Lord and Savior. Now, that's a tragedy.

So stop apologizing for what God has said. Stop worrying about how it will come across. But carry the message (and I'm saying this to myself too) and tell what God told. And remember, the Gospel does mean the "good news." And praise Jesus, it is!!

A Word From Pastor Way, and A Litte From Me

Here's part of an eye opening devotional by Pastor Phillip Way on "Worldliness" in the Church:

"AW Tozer is known for a quote where he says something along the lines that he went looking for the church and found her in the world and then went looking for the world and found her sitting comfortably in the church. And yet so much of the New Testament is devoted to telling us the dangers of worldliness - why can't we stay away from the world?

There truly is a lot at stake here. If we are worldly then we cannot be holy. If we cannot be holy then we cannot commune with or worship God. This week we will study a few facets of this message I preached as we search the Scriptures to see how we are not to be like the world.

Consider this as we lay the foundation today for our study:

We are commanded to be holy. We are commanded to live godly lives. We are commanded to be without spot and blemish because Jesus is coming and He when He does He will judge the living and the dead. In 1 John we read, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

There has been a theme in our sermons these last few weeks. Jonah told Nineveh, "Repent or you will be destroyed." Nahum said to Nineveh, "You've embraced your sin. You've not turned to God. You will be destroyed." Jesus says, "Behold I'm coming quickly" and Peter tells us when He comes the elements we dissolve this world will be done away with. So we are awaiting a new heavens and a new earth. Indeed, we are told in 1 John 2 that the world is passing away.

Think about the foolishness here then when the church embraces the world. The church is holding on to something that will not last. To try to do things like the world, to think like the world, to talk like the world, to dress like the world, to act like the world, to worship like the world, to try to entertain ourselves, to try to please ourselves, to try to build up self, to try to do all these things is to do things in the way of the world and the world is passing away...for the rest of Pastor Way's post, go here...

I think many of our churches today have forgotten that "compromise" is a dirty word when it deals with "the things of God". Be it in worship, the Word, evangelism, etc...we are never allowed to compromise God's Truth. "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" 1 Corinthians 5:6

We should ask ourselves, "Is it so hard to just 'come out from among them'"? 2 Corinthians 6:17

The "9/11 Plague"

Recent news reports have focused on the occurrence of persistent health problems that are continuing to develop among rescue workers present on 9/11. Hundreds have developed cancer they believe to be linked to ingesting pulverized cement, glass fibers and other toxic substances at Ground Zero. Others have died from scaring to the lungs, or suffered persistently from asthma and other respiratory conditions. Check out the article yourself at the following website . Now clearly, those men and women are heroes, in the strictest sense of the word. The fact that people across the world objectively measure certain things (such as murder or bravery) as good or bad traits is a proof in of itself of the existence of God. But this issue has brought back the age old question to many of "How could a good God exist and yet allow all the pain and suffering in this world?"

Obviously there is pain and suffering in this world. One cannot deny it. One of my best friends was just diagnosed with type one diabetes. My mom has lost sight in one eye due to high blood pressure. One of my grandmothers is in a nursing home due to failing health. The other grandmother isn't fairing much better either. And I've got scores of cousins, aunts, and uncles, suffering from cancer and a number of other maladies. I'm not saying this to get a pity party. But simply to establish that I'm not someone who has lived in a glass house utopia and never personally experienced pain and suffering. I have. But the Lord is gracious and He is in control.

Now intellectuals have struggled with this issue for centuries. Ironically, often the people suffering don't have a problem with accepting God and their suffering. It is often those in far more comfortable positions in life. I'm not going to claim to be a voice in the desert that has all the answers perfectly or that I figured this all out on my own. But I do have to say this: God's plan is far bigger than you or I can fathom. If you think hard enough, you can probably find something in your life that seemed bad at the time and yet now you have come to be thankful that it happened. Even if you can't see how it may be a good thing though, that doesn't mean it isn't in His eternal plan. Let me give you the following simplistic example from The Case for Faith, an excellent book by Lee Strobel that tackles the most common intellectual problems for people in accepting Christ:

"Would you agree that the difference between us and God is greater than the difference between us and, say, a bear."
I nodded.
"Okay, then, imagine a bear in a trap and a hunter who, out of sympathy, wants to liberate him. He tries to win the bear's confidence, but he can't do it, so he has to shoot the bear full of drugs. The bear, however, thinks this is an attack and that the hunter is trying to kill him. He doesn't realize that this is being done out of compassion.
"Then, in order to get the bear out of the trap, the hunter has to push him further into the trap to release the tension on the spring. If the bear were semiconscious at that point, he would be even more convinced that the hunter was his enemy who was out to cause him suffering and pain. But the bear would be wrong. He reaches this incorrect conclusion because he's not a human being....
"Now... can anyone be certain that's not an analogy between us and God? I believe God does the same to us sometimes, and we can't comprehend why he does it any more than the bear can understand the motivations of the hunter. As the bear could have trusted the hunter, so we can trust God.

There is a lot more to that issue in that book and has also been addressed by C. S. Lewis in "The Problem with Pain." This website address, given to me by a friend, is also an excellent and well researched answer to that problem filled with scripture.

If you are struggling with that issue, even though I'm sure I didn't answer your concern as fully as you require, take hope, the answers are out there. And ultimately, the biggest proof is the fact that God exists, as creation absolutely attests. Just as a painting needs a painter, clearly the sunset does as well. And since God does exist, then clearly He has a reason for everything under His Sovereignty. And that's enough for me.

The Journey Thus Far

For those of you who are regular readers (ie. bloggers, friends and family of bloggers, etc.), I'd like to summarize the past few weeks.

Personally, I've been transitioning from full-time college back to part-time work/summer school. During all this, I had intended on keeping this little brain-child of mine updated a little more regularly than it has been - say daily or at least multilple times a week; but that has been a weighter task than I had expected. Some days, I'd much rather read what Centurion's huffing and puffing about, than explain what is currently 'grinding my gears'. I am discovering that I would much rather respond to a thoughtful or thought provoking post -- than drill one out for myself, although I still have my moments.

Being a new addtion to the blogosphere myself, I have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of blogging literature out, about current Christian events, theological debates, and the like. The more sites I find, the more time I would like to devote to reading them all. One of the latest that I stumbled onto was The Big Orange Truck. I haven't had very much time to delve into it yet, but the author seems down-to-earth with an edgy sense of humor -- which is the kind of posts that I usually spend my blog-time reading.

As for this blog, I am hopeful for it's future. I would still like to add more content in the way of informative links, quotes, etc. -- as well as add to the wealth of individual bloggings; but I know those things come in waves - so I'll just stand on the shore and chunk some seashell or something (give myself kudos for a useless metaphor...lol).

I would like to thank the other members of "the Journeymen", for their support in this endeavor, as well as their vision for it's "continuence". I do not venture to look or plan for it's "success", as that is a subjective term - which would lead to subjective means, instead of the objective end of documenting and opining on our journeys with the Lord Jesus.

More bloggin' to come!

"I am small and despised: yet I do not forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the the truth." - Psalm 119:141-142

Small and despised,
Bro. Hank