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But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:4
Fellowship in the Spirit
~ Are you experiencing deep connection with other believers and participating in God's work on earth?
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1-4
Most churches have a fellowship hall — a space where members gather for all kinds of events other than worship services. Getting out of the pew and interacting with our brothers and sisters in Christ fosters a deep sense of community.
Paul describes this kind of togetherness as “being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Philippians 2:2). Our Bibles usually translate it as “fellowship of the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1).
But today, the word fellowship has lost some of its original impact. To recapture what it was meant to convey, let’s examine the word Paul uses in that verse. The Greek term “koinonia" means what we use the English word fellowship to express — that is, connection and camaraderie with others.
What’s more, koinonia carries a sense of participation in what God is doing. This seems reasonable, given that the church and its members are Christ’s body (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27). Together, we enjoy His life and love in certain ways that we understand — and in others we don’t fully grasp yet.
Remembering our fellowship in the Spirit can help bring about unity in the family of faith. How can you foster this kind of fellowship in your own church and friendships?
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/fellowship-in-the-spirit
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Glory To Glory
“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” ~ John 15:7-8
God’s glory is the visible reality of who He is. All around us, this truth is being proclaimed. In nature. Through lives. And through the Spirit within our hearts. Glory is simply the essence of something being observed. God’s glory is something in which we participate.
We participate when we observe and see God. And we participate when we abide in the vine that is Jesus, and thereby show God to others by living in obedience. Abiding is the fruit of our choices, an action verb of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Body of Christ.
When we adopt a true perspective, we experience glory. It surrounds us like a swimmer diving in the ocean and runs through us like the marathoner chugging a drink. He is the living water. The well that never runs dry.
We show others the glory of God as we make decisions that honor the truth of who He is. That in turn shapes who we are. No circumstance can disqualify us from this opportunity. God’s promise shines through every opportunity. Sometimes it is mundane. Sometimes it is just a glimmer. Sometimes it is so brilliant we cannot look directly at it.
God is offering us the glory of His perspective. The refreshing abundance of truth. There is nothing greater in all of creation than the Presence of God. And He has decided to share it with and through us.
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~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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We all know about the many pagan religions of the world...and...even here in the United States...many people have adopted their own religions and call it "christian" but in reality...there is just enough truth of the word of God...mixed with the untruth...to draw people in...and the reason for that is because the true word of God...well...its just a little to strict and hard for them to deal with and live by. You know...the ole mentality that..."Gods word was written way back there when times were different...it really dont apply to todays world...Well...not completely". That is why the new religions / faiths that profess to be "christian" here in the USA have prospered so. There is the Health, Wealth and Prosperity bunch...New Age...Universalism...just to name a few. Thats also the reason the TV has many false prophets that are wolves in sheep clothing masquerading as preachers and they have prospered so well. Because they tell the people what they want to hear to make the so called "Christian" living / life a breeze. You know...as long as we try and be pretty good...as long as we do our little "christian" rituals...do our godly duty best we can...we are OK. Forget that little detail of sin and folks going to hell. In its own way millions of people are going to church to be entertained today...Not to truly worship God! They want to get the warm and fuzzes for an hour and then back to business as usual for the rest of the week! Remember..we can pull the wool over the eyes of much of the world but we aint fooling God ever!...judgement day is coming!
For the time will come when people 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.
2 Timothy 4:3
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
For the time will come when people 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.
2 Timothy 4:3
“'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'”.
Matthew 15:8-9
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:15
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
Mark 7:9
In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Mark 7:7
Buckets
“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” [which means “Yes”] ascends to God for His glory.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20
No circumstance disqualifies us from hearing (and saying) “Yes” to the kingdom of God.
Humans love to compartmentalize. We wade through our days and load up circumstances into the two buckets of what we call “good” and “bad”. We toil through life trying to control the flow of water into the good bucket. In our frazzled efforts, one thing we rarely do is stop to evaluate our perspective on the buckets – what we define as good and bad.
All circumstances are an opportunity. All of them. They are all valuable, all useful. At a minimum, every circumstance is an opportunity to exercise faith, an amazing activity we will only be able to do in this life. No event can be discarded as unimportant. From the mundane to the tragic, everything that happens to us opens an avenue of availability to exercise faith in relationship with God and one another.
God is transcendent over our compartmentalizing. He is there through it all. We might say “no” to God’s promises with our attempts to control or compartmentalize. But God’s promises are always “Yes” anyways. His invitation is there for us to say “Yes” as well. The choice to perceive His truth belong to us. The choice to participate in “Yes” is ours.
___________________
~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
~ this is a 31-minute read – alternatively, read the article at the following website link: (https://www.denisonforum.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality)
Homosexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, and same-sex marriages are divisive issues in today’s culture, especially within American Christianity. This leads many people to wonder, “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?”
Denison Forum has compiled the following resource to help you know more about God’s Word on this issue.
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Whether it’s the pejoratively named “Don’t Say Gay” bill from a few years ago in Florida or similar stories in the years since, it is difficult to discuss this issue rationally and in a way that leads to fruitful discussion. And the degree to which the conversation has shifted from adults to children is one of the main reasons why. It seems that the acceptance of homosexuality is so widespread that schools are teaching it in sex-ed at younger and younger ages. Some Americans are actively raising and guiding their children toward queer relationships as young as toddlers.
But that leaves the question, how should Christians respond to this issue?
• Although same-sex marriage has been legalized and accepted in American culture, should it stay legal?
• Should practicing homosexuals be ordained into Christian ministry?
• What does the Bible say on this controversial and emotional issue?
• Does the Bible allow for these relationships, and is it even a big deal to God?
On such a controversial and emotional issue, we need to know whose word we are going to trust. We can find scholars who support any of the variety of positions that are advocated on the subject.
It is not my intention to treat fully the multitude of interpretive comments that deal with the biblical texts on the subject. My goal is simply to review what the Bible says about homosexuality, as clearly, succinctly, and practically as possible. And, at the end of the day, champion love first and foremost.
Seek the intended meaning of the Bible:
And so, I must begin with an interpretive word.
When I taught principles of biblical interpretation at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I often told my students, “The Bible can never mean what it never meant.” We must seek the intended meaning of the text as understood in its original context.
I also said often, “The only word God is obligated to bless is his word.” What matters to us today is not my opinions or yours, but God’s.
Such a position is not held universally on this subject:
For instance, Dr. Walter Wink states in his thoughtful booklet, Homosexuality and the Bible, “Where the Bible mentions homosexual behavior at all, it clearly condemns it. I freely grant that. The issue is precisely whether that Biblical judgment is correct” (p. 12).
Dr. Wink then compares homosexuality to the issue of slavery: he argues that the Bible condones slavery, states that the Bible was wrong on that subject, and concludes that it is equally wrong on the issue before us (pp. 12-13).
I greatly respect Dr. Wink’s enormous contributions to New Testament studies, especially on the subjects of spiritual warfare and nonviolence. But I could not disagree more strongly with his assertion, “The issue is precisely whether that Biblical judgment is correct.”
Without digressing into an extended defense of biblical authority, I wish to state clearly that I believe every word of the Bible to be the word of God. I believe the Scriptures to possess the same authority for our lives today as they possessed for their first hearers and readers.
For my purposes, the only question we’ll seek to answer is: What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
Does “the sin of Sodom” condemn homosexuality?
The Supreme Court made history on June 27, 2003, when it struck down the “sodomy laws” of the state of Texas. In a 6-3 decision, the justices reversed course from a ruling seventeen years ago that states could punish homosexuals for private consensual sex. Such activity is typically called “sodomy” because of the text we’ll study today.
In a survey of passages typically cited on the divisive issue of homosexuality, Genesis 19 and the sin of Sodom is usually listed first. Lot entertained two angels who came to the city to investigate its sins. These angels appeared as men. Before they went to bed, “all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house. They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them’” (vv. 4-5 NIV). For such sin, “the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah” (v. 24), destroying them.
Is this text a condemnation of homosexuality?
Dr. Walter Wink believes not: “That was a case of ostensibly heterosexual males intent on humiliating strangers by treating them ‘like women,’ thus demasculinizing them” (p. 1). However, Dr. Wink offers no textual evidence that the men were “ostensibly heterosexual.” His view is only conjectural and stands against the vast majority of interpretation across the centuries.
Dr. Peter Gomes, the minister at Harvard’s Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard College, offers a different approach. He has written an extremely erudite introduction to the Bible and its message, The Good Book. Dr. Gomes, himself a homosexual (p. 164), treats this passage as an attempted homosexual rape and argues that it does not condemn homosexuality per se (pp. 150-52).
A third approach is suggested by D. Sherwin Bailey in his influential book, Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition. Dr. Bailey argues that the Hebrew word for “know,” translated “have sex” by the New International Version, relates not to sexual activity but to hospitality. The word appears more than 943 times in the Old Testament and only twelve times in the context of sexual activity.
However, ten of these twelve times are in the book of Genesis, the context for our text. Lot’s response to the crowd, offering his daughters so they can “do what you like with them,” makes clear that he interpreted their desires as sexual (v. 8). Everett Fox’s excellent translation of Genesis includes the note, “the meaning is unmistakably sexual” (p. 80). And Jude 7 settles the question as to whether sexual activity is meant by our text: “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.”
It is also the case that Jewish and later Christian interpretation of the passage has historically and commonly seen the sin in Sodom as homosexuality itself, not just attempted rape. While this fact does not settle the interpretative question, it is worth noting as we proceed.
What about Leviticus 18:22?
The next text typically cited on our subject is Leviticus 18:22, and it is far less ambiguous: “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” The Hebrew is as clear as the English translation.
The obvious sense of the command seems to be: homosexual sexual relations are forbidden by Scripture. This is the way the text has typically been understood by Jewish and Christian interpreters across the centuries. It is the way most read the text still today.
But those who advocate homosexuality as an acceptable biblical lifestyle have found ways to dissent. Dr. Walter Wink admits that this text “unequivocally condemns same-sex sexual behavior.” But he theorizes that the ancient Hebrews saw any sexual activity which could not lead to the creation of life as a form of abortion or murder. He adds that the Jews would have seen homosexuality as “alien behavior, representing yet one more incursion of pagan civilization into Jewish life.”
He then cites the penalty for homosexual behavior: “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads” (Leviticus 20:13). In his reasoning, if we see this punishment for homosexuality as obsolete today, we should see its prohibition of this behavior as equally outdated. He concludes his argument against making Leviticus 18:22 normative for sexual ethics today by citing a list of other biblical ethics he considers to be obsolete or in need of reinterpretation, e.g., intercourse during menstruation, polygamy, concubinage, and slavery among them.
And that’s not all. Other critics see the Levitical laws as expressive of worship codes, not universal moral standards. And they argue that all such laws were intended only for their day and time, such as kosher dietary laws and harvest regulations.
Is there an objective way to respond to these assertions?
First, let’s consider the claim that this Old Testament law has no relevance for New Testament believers but should be classified with kosher laws and such:
A basic rule of biblical interpretation is that any Old Testament teaching repeated in the New Testament carries the weight of command to the Christian church and faith. And the prohibition against homosexual activity is most certainly present there (see Romans 1:26-27, a passage we will consider in due time).
Even those Old Testament statements that are not repeated in the New Testament carry the force of principle. For instance, kosher laws tell us, at the least, that God cares about our bodies and health.
Second, it is claimed that the Leviticus passage expresses a worship code, not a moral standard:
The logic is that Leviticus is written with regard to the Levitical priests and their duties of worship preparation and leadership and does not apply as such to the larger family of faith. However, the chapter in question begins, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them . . . .’” (18:1).
Nothing in the chapter limits its application or significance to the Levites. Rather, the chapter exhorts all Israel to “keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them” (v. 4). It proceeds to forbid incestuous relationships, child sacrifice, and bestiality — standards I presume critics of Leviticus 18:22 would consider universal.
Third, it has been argued that the Leviticus prohibition of homosexuality is to be classed with other biblical statements that can be considered obsolete, such as the apparent biblical endorsement of slavery. This claim is cited frequently, so much so that we need to consider it next.
Slavery and the Scriptures:
My move to Atlanta in 1994 gave me my first exposure to the remarkable colonial history of the East Coast. When people living in South Carolina speak of “the War,” they could mean the Civil War (though they’ll say “there was nothing civil about it”) or the Revolutionary War.
It is a fascinating region. With one exception:
While traveling in Charleston one day, my wife, Janet, and I came upon the “slave trading warehouse,” the place where slaves were brought to America on ships and sold at market. I can still remember the building and my revulsion upon seeing it.
I believe that racism is the greatest sin in America, the failure that keeps us from addressing our other failures. Racism makes crime in south Dallas a “black” problem and drug abuse in north Dallas a “white” problem — when they’re all our problems.
Given our tragic history with racism, treating the subject of slavery in the Bible is a bit repugnant for us. However, a very common assertion regarding the topic of homosexuality and the word of God is that the biblical injunctions against this lifestyle are outdated, as is its acceptance of slavery. If we can prove that the Bible was wrong on the latter, we can believe that it is wrong on the former.
The issue of slavery in the Bible is a large and comprehensive subject, far more wide-ranging than we will consider in this article. I’ll try to limit our study to the barest of essentials so we can relate it to the larger question that brings it to our attention.
Slavery was an accepted part of life in Old Testament times. We know of no culture or ancient literature that questioned its existence or necessity. Persons became slaves in a variety of ways:
• They were born to enslaved parents (Genesis 17:23).
• They were purchased (Genesis 37:28).
• They sold themselves to pay a debt (Leviticus 25:39-55).
• Breaking into a home was punished by enslavement (Exodus 22:3).
• Prisoners of war were commonly enslaved (Joel 3:6).
• And the children of Israel enslaved the Canaanites they had conquered in the Promised Land (Judges 1:28).
Slaves in Israel were considered to be property and could be bought and sold (Exodus 21:32). They were granted protection against murder, permanent injury, or undue physical labor (Exodus 21:20, 26; 23:12). Hebrew household slaves were circumcised (Genesis 17:12) and included at religious meals (Exodus 12:44).
Why did the Old Testament not decry slavery in general and move to free all those enslaved?
In many ways, it did.
There were several ways a Hebrew slave could be freed (a process called “manumission”):
• An individual could be purchased and set free (Exodus 21:8).
• A slave permanently injured by his master was to be set free (Exodus 21:26).
• Hebrews were to be held as slaves for no longer than six years (Deuteronomy 15:12).
• And the Jubilee Year, which occurred every forty-nine years, was to free all Israelite slaves (Leviticus 25:50).
But still we ask: Why did the Old Testament sanction this practice at all?
In fact, it simply recognized a fact of all ancient civilization. And its rules minimized this evil, protected its victims more fully than did any other society, and provided means for their eventual freedom. But the New Testament would bring God’s word on the subject to much fuller expression.
In the Old Testament era, the primary way persons were enslaved was through capture in war. But in the first century AD, the breeding of slaves swelled their numbers enormously. And large numbers of people sold themselves into slavery as a means of improving their quality of life. Owning and using people as slaves was so commonplace in the Roman Empire that not a single ancient writer is known to have condemned the practice. But all that would begin to change with the advent of the Christian movement.
What was the New Testament attitude toward slavery?
And how does this stance affect our study of the issue of homosexuality?
Slavery in the Roman era was dramatically different from the despicable practice as we know it in American history. If you had been walking through any first-century Roman city, you would not have been able to distinguish between slaves and free. Patterns of work, relationships, or faith were no different between the two. Slaves served not only to do manual labor but also as doctors, nurses, household managers, and intellectuals. They administered funds and cities. They were typically given an excellent education at the expense of their owners so that philosophers and tutors were typically slaves.
Even more amazing to us, it was common for people to sell themselves into slavery to secure such privileges. A person who desired citizenship in the Empire could achieve it by enslaving himself to a citizen, then purchasing his freedom. Slavery was more a process than a condition.
While there is no doubt that many slaves were abused physically, sexually, and socially, it is also true that at least as many were part of the more privileged strata of society. And the total dependence of the Roman economy upon the labor of slaves made it impossible for the Empire to conceive of abolishing this institution. If an economist were to propose that we refuse all goods and services imported from outside America, we’d be equally surprised.
Does the New Testament then argue for slavery? Absolutely not.
In summary, what is the New Testament’s view of slavery?
No writer attempted to lead his readers to end the institution per se, as this was not possible in the Roman Empire. Those initiating such an uprising would have been quickly annihilated as rebels and threats to Caesar. But several other facts should be noted as well.
First, Paul abolished even the possibility of racial or social discrimination for followers of Jesus:
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” ~ Galatians 3:26-28
Every believer is our sister or brother. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Second, wherever the apostolic church spoke to this issue, it did so with a view to freedom and equality:
Paul appealed to Philemon to see his slave, Onesimus, “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother” (v. 16).
Clement, a friend of Paul, wrote in his letter to the Corinthians (ca. AD 90), “We know many among ourselves who have given themselves up to bonds, in order that they might ransom others. Many, too, have surrendered themselves to slavery, that with the price which they received for themselves, they might provide food for others”.
And Ignatius (died AD 107) wrote to Polycarp: “Do not despise either male or female slaves, yet neither let them be puffed up with conceit, but rather let them submit themselves the more, for the glory of God, that they may obtain from God a better liberty.”
Third, the New Testament church gave those who were enslaved a family and a home:
This was one reason why so many of the earliest believers were slaves. Pastors and congregational leaders were drawn from the ranks both of slaves and free. Christians made no distinction between the two, for their Father welcomed all as His children.
Last, not a single New Testament leader owned slaves or condoned such, even though many had the means to purchase them:
Examples: Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, or Barnabas. Their example inspired William Wilberforce and countless other Christians to do all they could to abolish slavery, and we thank God that they were successful.
It is therefore an extremely unfair accusation to claim that the Bible was “wrong” or “outdated” on the issue of slavery and thus on the subject of homosexuality.
The Bible and the punishment of homosexuals:
One objection to the Leviticus statement remains. Dr. Walter Wink and others point out its punishment for homosexuality: “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads” (Leviticus 20:13).
If we no longer execute those who practice homosexuality, are we justified in ignoring the prohibition against such activity entirely?
Those who argue that homosexuality is a biblical lifestyle point to this “outdated” penalty as reason to consider the prohibition to be equally irrelevant to society today.
No one I know would argue that homosexual practice should result in the death penalty today. But let’s consider two facts.
First, the Levitical code was given to Israel at a crucial time in her early formation:
The nation had no functional law process or court system. Her moral character was not yet formed. And so, the Lord gave the nation clear and enforceable standards that would help solidify and preserve her spiritual future. The spirit of the Levitical prohibition is clear: homosexuality is not to be practiced or accepted by the nation.
Second, a reinterpretation of the penalty prescribed by a law does not justify the decision to ignore the law itself:
Leviticus also prescribes the death penalty for child sacrifice (20:2), adultery (v. 10), and bestiality (vv. 15-16). I presume we would not accept these practices as moral and lawful today on the basis that their prescribed punishments are not prosecuted by our society.
And so, we have surveyed arguments for ignoring the Levitical prohibitions against homosexual practice and have concluded that these laws are indeed timeless in import, expressive of moral standard, relevant to our culture, and a valid basis for moral standards today. An objective reading of the Levitical prohibitions leads to the clear conclusion that this part of God’s word considers homosexual practice to be wrong.
A survey of the biblical materials relating to this issue would also include Deuteronomy 23:17-18, which outlaws prostitution, whether male or female. But interpreters are divided as to whether the passage relates to homosexuality in general.
What does the New Testament say about homosexuality?
Turning to the New Testament, three passages are typically cited.
1. Homosexuality in the New Testament: Romans 1:26-27
The first is Romans 1:26-27: “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 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.”
At first reading, Paul seems clearly to consider homosexual activity to be unbiblical. But there is another way to interpret the passage, suggested by those who support homosexuality as a biblical lifestyle.
In their reading, Paul is addressing the issue of heterosexual men and women who choose homosexual activity, which is “unnatural” for them. If this is true, Paul’s statement bears no relevance to those who consider themselves homosexual by innate or “natural” orientation.
Is such an interpretation the most objective way to read the text?
No, for two reasons.
First, Paul describes homosexual acts themselves as “shameful lusts” (v. 26), “indecent acts,” and “perversion” (v. 27). To suggest that his descriptions relate only to the (supposed) decision to engage in such activity by heterosexuals is to strain the Greek syntax beyond its meaning.
Second, Paul states that men who engage in homosexual activity “abandoned natural relations with women,” making clear the fact that he considers heterosexuality to be “natural.” Likewise, he describes lesbian activity as “unnatural.”
One can conclude that Paul was wrong, that homosexual orientation can be “natural” and its sexual expression therefore “natural relations.” But one cannot argue on the basis of this text that homosexuality is biblical, for Paul’s scriptural words clearly state the opposite.
2. Homosexuality in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
The next New Testament text typically included in our topic is 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “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 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
“Male prostitutes” could refer to men who sold themselves sexually, either in heterosexual or homosexual activity. As translated by the New International Version, the word would not necessarily speak to our subject, as prostitution of any kind is almost universally understood to be immoral.
But the Greek word so translated is more likely a technical term for the passive partner in homosexual activity (Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, 2:56). And so it may well refer to one who engages in homosexuality, without a necessary connection to prostitution. The activity it describes makes it harder to assert that Paul had no concept of homosexual orientation but meant his words only for heterosexuals who practice (for unexplained reasons) homosexual behavior.
The other term germane to our discussion is translated by the NIV as “homosexual offenders.” The Greek word is defined by Fritz Rienecker as “a male who has sexual relations with a male, homosexual.” Here the word has no connection with prostitution. Again, one can claim that Paul was wrong in his understanding of human sexuality. But it seems to me that we cannot read his words in their intended meaning as accepting of homosexual activity.
3. Homosexuality in the New Testament: 1 Timothy 1:8-11
The last passage for our study is part of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Here is the paragraph in which our verse is found: “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers — and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me” (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
The phrase in question is found in verse 10, translated by the NIV as “adulterers and perverts.” “Adulterers” renders the root Greek word “pornos", from which we get “pornography,” and means one who practices sexual immorality. When accented on the second syllable, it frequently refers to one who operates a brothel. When accented on the first syllable, as in our text, it can refer to homosexual activity.
“Perverts” renders the Greek word “arsenokoites”, typically translated as “homosexual.” We see it in 1 Corinthians 6:9, where it is translated by the NIV as “homosexual offenders.” The word means literally “one who has sexual relations with men.” While some attempt to interpret the word as it is found in 1 Corinthians 6 with reference to prostitution, such a connection is even more difficult to maintain in the present text.
And so, once more, we find Paul addressing the subject at hand with what appears to be the clear position that homosexuality is an unbiblical practice or lifestyle.
Such is the consistent teaching of the New Testament on the subject.
Does the Bible endorse homosexuality?
"I am not gay, have no family members who are, and have no experience with this lifestyle. So, who am I to judge?”
"Why don’t we just let consenting adults do what they wish so long as no one else is hurt?"
Many in our society take this approach to the subject, whatever their own sexual preferences might be. To do otherwise seems to be intolerant and judgmental, two words our postmodern, relativistic society condemns.
On the other hand, believers and those interested in the Christian faith do well to ask what God’s word says to every subject present in our culture. An objective reading of history and Scripture will inform our faith and make it more relevant to our problems and issues. For many paragraphs, we’ve considered such a survey. Now let’s summarize what we’ve found and ask how it all applies to our lives and relationships.
We have surveyed the seven passages typically cited with regard to this issue.
In Genesis 19, we find the attempt by men in Sodom to “have sex” with Lot’s angelic visitors (v. 5) and God’s consequent punishment against the city. While homosexual practice is clearly part of the text, the passage is less clear as to whether God’s judgment is against homosexuality itself or the crowd’s abusive attempt to commit homosexual rape.
Next, we found Leviticus 18:22, with its clear prohibition against homosexual activity, and Leviticus 20:13, with its prescription of the death penalty for such activity.
Since some consider these passages as “outdated” as the Bible’s (supposed) endorsement of slavery, we next took a brief side journey through the latter issue. After noting the biblical abolition of social and racial discrimination (Galatians 3:26-28) and the fact that followers of Jesus were the leaders in abolishing the institution of slavery, we concluded that the Bible is being unfairly interpreted by its critics on this issue.
We briefly considered Deuteronomy 23:17-18, which outlaws all prostitution, whether male or female. And we focused at some length on Romans 1:26-27, with its description of homosexual acts as “unnatural” and “indecent.”
We closed our survey with brief studies of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11, passages that are considered by some to refer to homosexual prostitution but which seem more objectively to forbid homosexual practice in any context.
As we have seen, proponents of homosexuality as a biblical lifestyle have arguments by which they attempt to reinterpret these passages. It may be of interest, however, to note that no biblical passage can be cited with confidence as an endorsement of this activity. No biblical leader or ethical model taught by the Scriptures can be effectively construed as practicing this lifestyle.
The Old Testament prohibitions we have discussed in our survey are too unambiguous to ignore, and are renewed in the New Testament. A basic principle of biblical interpretation is that an Old Testament teaching that is renewed or endorsed in the New Testament retains the force of precept and principle for Christians today (see Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth, 2d ed. [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993] 153).
So, in completing our brief biblical survey of this issue, it seems clear to me that Scripture intends us to see homosexual practice as unbiblical.
Practical questions about homosexuality:
Several questions come immediately to mind.
1. What about the argument that homosexuality is inherited?
If this is true, at least for some, how can such activity be wrong?
“God made me this way” is a typical testimony. A very brief response would be that the connection between genetics and homosexuality is tenuous at best.
Where research has seemed to indicate some physical propensity toward homosexual orientation, others in the field have refuted such a conclusion. It is widely believed that alcoholism can be an inherited genetic propensity, but no one would therefore endorse its practice. While this is a very unfortunate analogy regarding homosexuals, it perhaps illustrates the fact that not every genetic tendency should be endorsed (if homosexuality is, in fact, such).
2. What about environmental conditions?
Studies have been conducted of identical twins who were separated at birth, where one developed a homosexual lifestyle but the other did not. Particular family or circumstantial patterns are sometimes seen in these cases to contribute to sexual orientation. But again, other interpreters disagree with such conclusions.
3. What does all this mean for those who deal with homosexuality on a personal basis?
Those who practice homosexuality seem to fall into two categories:
• Some can remember decisions, choices, and circumstances by which they moved into this lifestyle.
• Others believe this lifestyle to be a sexual orientation which, for them, existed from birth or prior to conscious choice and intention.
It is obviously both impossible and wrong for me (or any other person) to say which category is appropriate to a specific individual.
At the same time, it seems clear to me that homosexuality is an unbiblical lifestyle. So, what practical conclusions can guide those who interpret Scripture as I do as we seek to relate biblically and positively to those who are homosexual?
First, I need to state clearly that homosexuality is not the “unpardonable sin” (Mark 3.29):
The only sin God cannot forgive is that sin that rejects his forgiveness. To be more specific, the Holy Spirit works to convict us of our need for salvation through Christ. If we refuse this offer of saving grace, God cannot forgive us, as we have rejected the only means by which His forgiveness can be given.
As a result, whether homosexuality is a person’s choice or orientation, he or she does not stand outside of the grace and love of God. Such sexual activity is no more unbiblical than many other sins listed in Scripture, including hatred, slander, gossip, and gluttony. We are wrong to reject the person because he or she is practicing a lifestyle we consider unbiblical. In other ways, so are we.
Second, and in contrast to my first statement, we do others no good if we endorse that which is unbiblical or hurtful to them:
There are twin temptations here. One is to refuse any statement that might appear judgmental with regard to homosexuality, lest we appear to be rejecting the individual. The other is to condemn the person rather than the behavior.
Our Father never falls into either mistake. He always exposes that which hurts His children, all the while loving them as His children.
And so we are to maintain that difficult balance that loves the person while opposing that which is unbiblical in his or her life. We want others to do the same for us, don’t we?
How should Christians respond to homosexuals?
I’m writing today with several personal friends especially in mind: a mother of a gay son, a brother of a gay sister, a son whose father is divorcing his wife and announcing his homosexuality, and a close college friend who several years ago declared his homosexuality and is no longer in vocational Christian ministry.
What would I say to these four people if they were reading this essay?
Two comments are easy to make, the other two not as much so:
1. God loves each of us.
He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in his Son (2 Peter 3:9). He so loved the world that he gave his Son for us all (John 3:16). Nothing we do, no matter how unbiblical, can separate us from his love for us.
Your son, sister, father, or friend is loved by our Father in heaven.
2. A homosexual person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
He or she is acting out a lifestyle that many of us understand to be unbiblical — but so are any of us who practice slander, gossip, heterosexual lust, or egotistical pride.
So-called “gay bashing” is always wrong. Any action or attitude that demeans a person or makes them less valuable is the opposite of the grace and unconditional love of Christ.
3. While we wish to offer the dignity and respect of Christian grace to all persons, we cannot truly love them while endorsing that which is unbiblical in their lives.
As intolerant as the next sentence may seem, it is honestly motivated by a sincere desire to speak the truth in love: we can and should pray for those in the homosexual lifestyle to come to repentance and transformation.
After including homosexuality in his list of sins (1 Corinthians 6:9), Paul next told the Corinthians: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11).
I recognize that some will read this paragraph as bigoted prejudice. However, any of us would want to help those we care about to practice a biblical lifestyle that leads to the fullest abundance of Christ’s joy (John 10:10). This is the honest motivation behind my suggestion that such intercession is appropriate for the gay people we know and love.
I must offer one last suggestion, a statement that will engender further resistance from many in the gay community:
4. Those who consider themselves to be homosexual by sexual orientation should practice sexual celibacy.
Many will counter that I have no idea how difficult such a lifestyle decision would be. They’re right.
But given that I understand the Bible to teach clearly that homosexuality is an unbiblical lifestyle, the only conclusion I can draw is that the practice of this lifestyle will lead the person out of the will of God and into harmful behavior.
Abstinence is, by this logic, the option that is in that person’s best personal interest. I can only hope that my heart is clear in offering this suggestion. My desire is not to condemn but to offer biblical truth as I understand it.
This article is offered with the prayer that the Lord of Scripture will use his word to bring healing, hope, and help to hearts and homes troubled by the issue of homosexuality. To the degree that these thoughts have shed more light than heat, my prayer will be answered.
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~ published by: Denison Ministries
https://www.denisonforum.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality/
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Amen Brother! Have a blessed weekend!
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This morning i would ask you to look around..and you dont have to look far...read the paper...watch the news...can we agree that the world is pretty screwed up? When we look at the vast majority of people can we agree that to some extent to pretty much totally...that morals and values...just a good standard of living has taken a back seat or has flown right out the window. Do you sometimes to often say...it cant get much worse then something happens that leaves you shaking your head in disbelief...like the ole saying goes...just when you think it cant get much worse...Look Out! So lets stop and think on all this because as we know...there is some really bad stuff going on not only in the world...but also here in the United States..where we are suppose to be a nation that is not only held at a higher standard by the world...we are suppose to be a nation under God. So whats the problem..it all comes down to a little three letter word...SIN! Now folks...for those of us that are born-again...we should know this...and of course the unsaved world...im pretty sure they dont have a clue. We have to remember that the world has always been pretty screwed up...i mean...it got so bad at one point...God sent a flood and killed the entire world except for eight people and a ark full of animals. And when you look at history...both of the Bible and secular world...humans have spent massive amounts of time and effort killing each other...all the way back to the beginning of creation when Adam and Eves son Cain killed his brother Abel. So heres the deal...this ole world aint gonna get no better...we can open the good book...the Bible...and it tells us very plain and simply that things are going to get worse just as in those days of Noah...and God is going to this next time...destroy this ole world we are living on...the heavens and the earth...once and for all. But there is hope for everyone...and that is by and thru the person of Jesus Christ. Remember...all of us...yes even us folks that profess to be born-again believers...we all lived in sin before we accepted Jesus into our life. We all use to be part of the problem before our day of salvation...right? And actually we are still part of the problem because we also still sin from time to time...right? So the next time you find yourself shaking your head in disbelief at something that has just happened...remember...its a little three letter word...SIN...and it aint going away until we step foot into the heaven where the saints dwell today or on the new heaven / earth once God creates that...where sin will be no more...thats why heaven is going to be perfect...no more Sin and we will be sinless without pride or ego in our new glorified bodies for all eternity...that be FOREVER!
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Romans 5:12
From the Pastor’s Heart – June 2024
~ When the storms of life come, our response reveals what and whom we’re trusting.
Here at the year’s halfway point, it’s a good time to pause and assess how things are going.
• What challenges are you facing this year?
• And how are you getting through them?
Dr. Stanley often reminded us of the countless ways God provides for us to grow strong in the Christian life. This month, we’d like to share some of his thoughts on that topic.
We hope they’ll encourage you through the rest of the year and beyond.
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How do you know if you’re a strong person?
I’m not talking about your physical body, but the inner qualities of a vibrant spiritual life. In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus told a story that vividly demonstrates the source of spiritual strength. He said those who hear and obey God’s Word are building their lives on a rock-solid foundation, while those who hear the Word and don’t obey have a foundation like sand.
What we’ve built our lives on may not be externally obvious. But when the storms of life come, our response reveals what and whom we’re trusting. If it’s not God, we’ll fall apart under the pressure. To help you evaluate whether you’re building well, I want to share a few characteristics of a strong spiritual life.
First, your life must be built on the teachings and application of God’s Word.
The Bible becomes a treasured possession when you recognize that it’s the Lord’s voice speaking directly to you. Obeying its principles should be a constant in your life, not an exception.
When you consistently feed on God’s Word, the Holy Spirit brings passages to your mind to help you respond correctly in every situation. That’s why Jesus said the Spirit will “remind you of all that I said” (John 14:26).
What’s more, as you read the Bible, you are “transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is” (Romans 12:2). The Word transforms you to think biblically about your circumstances. Then you can make good decisions and act rightly in trials.
Second, spending time alone in prayer is a priority.
Prayer is your connecting point with God and an essential means of strengthening your relationship with Him. Through the discipline of prayer, we learn how to communicate with the Lord about anything and everything. When His disciples needed the strength to stand firm, Jesus told them, “Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). A prayerless life is a powerless one.
Third, the spiritually fit see the Lord Jesus as the source of strength in their lives.
We are continually tempted to forget this perspective and think our strength comes from ourselves — the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” approach. Yet when the apostle Paul was suffering with what he called “a thorn in the flesh,” Christ told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7,9). The path to spiritual strength is humble dependence on God.
Fourth, if your life is characterized by obedience to God’s Word, you’ll be able to view troubles and afflictions as ways to strengthen your faith.
I wouldn’t change the pain, heartache, trials, and disappointments I’ve experienced, because God used each one to grow my faith. Instead of complaining and questioning God’s love in times of hardship, we can seek to understand His purpose and trust Him. The Lord’s goal is not to remove all our trials, but use them to transform us into godly people and equip us for His will (James 1:2-4).
Finally, our spiritual strength increases greatly through involvement in a local church that faithfully teaches the Bible.
Believers grow in church through hearing of the Word, love for one another, corporate worship, selfless service, and encouraging fellowship. That’s why, if possible, you should seek connection with other believers in a church body. We need each other.
Each of us is building our life on something — either God’s firm foundation, or the unstable sands of this world.
• What have you built your life on?
No matter what you’ve done in the past or how old you are, it’s never too late to step away from the sand and start building on rock. It’s the one building project that won’t end until the day the Lord takes you home — stronger and better than you could ever have been on your own.
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We hope you’ve been blessed by Dr. Stanley’s reminders of the many ways to build strength as you walk with the Savior each day. A few pages of God’s Word, read tonight, will not be wasted. A few moments in prayer tomorrow could strengthen you more than you think. And leaning on Jesus will carry you through to eternity.
Till next time, God bless you.
For His Glory,
Your Friends at In Touch Ministries
P.S. This month we recognize Father’s Day, a day on which Dr. Stanley often spoke of his loving heavenly Father, having lost his earthly dad at nine months old. He knew the difficulty of overcoming a gap like this, and the immense value of men who lead others in godliness, righteousness, grace, and wisdom. In Dr. Stanley’s memory, we wish you a happy Father’s Day.
https://www.intouch.org/read/from-pastors-heart/june-2024
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Seeking Justice
“Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” ~ Micah 6:8
Faith superheroes, just like the heroes in comics and movies, are called to a purpose. They are tasked with upholding justice.
The responsibility of our power brings us to the question of justice and our part to play in upholding truth. Both individually and corporately, we have been given the gift of faith, not solely to feed the internal desires of our own flesh but to pursue the greatest good available to all of us. And to do it together.
Justice is much more than upholding the laws of the land. And it certainly is not about the arbitrary judgment and sentencing many comic book heroes employ.
Justice is harmony. It is each member of the body of Christ doing what it was made to do to the best of its ability. If the arm is acting like the leg or the toenail like the elbow, the body is out of harmony.
We were each created to do our part. With Christ as the head, we are a body designed to uphold the system by participating properly in the Kingdom of God. The justice we seek cries out in our bones. It is the harmony of a chorus all of creation sings together. Placing things in their proper place is the heart of justice.
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~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
Think youve got your ticket to heaven punched? Think because you prayed a little prayer and maybe felt all warm and fuzzy that you can still do what you want to do and everything will be ok? What does this scripture mean to you? "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come"(2 Corinthians 5:17). Do you act one way around your saved friends and another way around your unsaved friends? Meaning...does your daily life reflect Jesus. When you witness to unsaved family and friends are they thinking...hummm...whats the big deal...you do the same things i do. Is this your life? In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.(Matthew 5:16). You do witness to unsaved family and friends...right? Do you live your life everyday sitting on the fence just going with the flow of the moment as to right and wrong? What does this scripture mean to you? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.(John 3:36). Do you profess to be a born-again believer but when you really look at your lifestyle on a daily basis you see as much of the world...sin...as you do some sort of righteousness? Do you understand what this verse is saying? “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers!’(Matthew 7:21-23). Are you good at talking the talk but not so good at walking the walk. Do you know there is a big difference in calling yourself a christian and actually being truly born again. Thought for the day...when this body of ours dies...our soul leaves it right then right there and we step foot into eternity. Heaven or hell...for forever...there are no do-overs after we die...where are you headed?
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Any gospel that is not the gospel of grace is not the true gospel. You can’t beg it. You can’t buy it. You can’t borrow it. You can’t steal it. You can’t earn it. It was bought by Christ on the cross. It is the supernatural work of God.
-Adrian Rogers-
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:12-13
The Impact of Deeper Growth
~ A close and personal relationship with God gives us the strength needed to endure whatever life brings.
Scripture Reading:
"Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.” ~ Colossians 2:6-7
After a hurricane a few years ago, a photographer captured an interesting picture of a tree. It stood tall above the ground on what looked like stilts. Upon closer examination, however, it was easy to see that those “stilts” were actually the exposed root system. The tree had grown deep and wide, and that strength held firm, even as storm-tossed waves washed away the sand and soil around its trunk. The tree survived because of the patient work it had done creating its base.
We, too, can be hardy like this tree, able to withstand life’s many challenges. As we fix our eyes on Jesus and meditate on His Word, the roots of our faith grow and stretch more deeply. When we delve into God’s Word, though the winds blow and the sands shift beneath us, we can focus on His character instead of our worries. Then we’re able to experience His great love and mercy amid our fears (Luke 8:22-25).
When we know the Lord is with us, we can endure all things. So spend a few moments in prayer today, asking God to help you grow like that tree standing tall and strong on its roots, whatever comes.
_________________
~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/the-impact-of-deeper-growth
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He Can Heal the Hurt
"Grudge" is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.
Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.”
It starts with a growl. “Grr…” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr…”
Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. “Sludge". Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.
• Is this the way you are coping with your hurts?
• Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates?
If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?
Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?
The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.
"I caught my husband with another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not — would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I’d have my pound of flesh."
"I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to. Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay."
"Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life — without me. I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am — a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life."
• Unfaithfulness is wrong. It is sin! It is devestating!!! It is painful!
• Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.
The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God’s mercy. No wonder, then, the wise man pleads, “Above all else, guard your heart.” (Proverbs 4:23)
David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:10)
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~ by Max Lucado (https://www.maxlucado.com)
To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager
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Encouraging Letters
I read of a man who was involved in a tragic accident. He lost both legs and his left arm and only a finger and thumb remained on the right hand. There was only enough left of the man that had been, to suffer and remember.
But he still possessed a brilliant mind, enriched with a good education and broadened with world travel. At first he thought there was nothing he could do but remain a helpless sufferer. A thought came to him. It was always nice to receive letters, but why not write them - he could still use his right hand with some difficulty. But whom could he write to?
Was there anyone shut in and incapacitated like he was who could be encouraged by his letters. He thought of men in prison - they did have some hope of release whereas he had none - but it was worth a try.
He wrote to a Christian organization concerned with prison ministry. He was told that his letters could not be answered - it was against prison rules, but he commenced this one sided correspondence.
He wrote twice a week and it taxed his strength to the limit. But into those letters he put his whole soul, all his experience, all his faith, all his wit, and all his Christian optimism. It must have been hard writing those letters, often in pain, and particularly when there was no reply.
Frequently he felt discouraged and was tempted to give it up. But it was his one remaining activity and he resolved to continue as long as he could. At last he got a letter. It was very short, written on prison stationery by the officer whose duty it was to censor the mail. All it said was:
"Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell to cell till they literally fall to pieces."
No matter what our personal situation is, we still have God-given gifts and talents, experience, and encouragement that we can share with others.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” ~ Colossians 3:23
"And the King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’" ~ Matthew 25:40
_________________
~ published by: The Daily Encourager
To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager
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..Ok...i can already hear a few boos and hisses...but so be it. Do we remember back when cell phones were popular enough that a great deal of the population had them...teens and adults alike. And...we had the added advantage of the internet on the cell phone. And as adults..we often sat in wonder...why and how the teenagers could sit and spend so much time on the phone talking and texting and on web sites...especially...social media. And it was to our amazement how these teens...could be in a room full of other teens and basically there would be no real conversation between them as they were texting other people in other places..and actually...texting people in the same room. We could not comprehend what was happening to the young folks with this devise straight from satan! Ok...now lets fast forward to present day...let us look in the mirror as the adults we are...how much time do we now spend on our cell phones? I mean..outside of business..our work. Do we now look like those teenagers we use to shake our heads at? Heres the thing...my point. In todays world...a vast number of humans can be with you..but they just as well be quite far away as the cell phone dominates the time. In the middle of conversation with the person or persons with you...talking on the phone and texting and surfing the web prevents any real person to person...heart to heart time. And as born-again believers...followers of Jesus...Gods servants...should we not be in the present...looking for and talking with...the people that are in our here and now. Looking for people that are hurting...ministering to their needs. Looking for opportunities to share the name of Jesus to everyone we can. This world is full of hurting people that have no hope...because...they dont know Jesus. And in the grand scheme of the universe...all that time that can be spent on the cell phone..how many people could we be ministering to...talking and listening to...praying for...because...wherever you are...whoever you are with...show them the respect they deserve...be with the people that are with you...not the people on the other side of the cell phone. Think about it...what and who is more important...the person in front of you...or the person on the other side of that devise you are holding in your hand? Ask God to teach you to live fully in the present that you may take advantage of every opportunity He gives you to serve Jesus Christ.
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!.....
Rick j Sane
Practical Wisdom
"If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” ~ James 3:13
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing.” ~ James 1:15
Wisdom is the crossroad of knowledge and action. As we seek wisdom, we are not just looking for the right way to think but also the right way to do.
Like everything else in life, knowledge is a kind of trial. Discretion, even right discretion, can be used improperly. Or it can be idolized. We love to trumpet our “wisdom”, to blast it from the pulpit or across the table to a needy friend. We like having the right answers. We enjoy the knowledge.
And we should. It is a gift. A gift to be celebrated. But when we stop short of acting out the knowledge we have received, we do not use this gift to its fullest ability. We waste it. Knowledge is a benefit. Knowledge accompanied by action is an even greater benefit.
The “humility” of wisdom comes through seeing our knowledge as a resource, an opportunity. A chance to know God, to love others, and to exercise our character in a way pleasing to the Lord. The real heart of humility is seeing things as they are. And wisdom is a two sided coin – knowledge and action. One without the other is incomplete and even dangerous. But together, they hold the key to the path of life. The key to living well.
Wisdom is a great tool and, therefore, a great responsibility. We must model our wisdom. We must live out our action. What we do must match what we say. Our wisdom should manifest in our words and our actions, our internal and external conversations, in what we think and in what we do.
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~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/practical-wisdom/
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God is love...love is God. Without God there is no love. As we all know..God created Adam and Eve...and...God has created every human sense then and every living thing. And in all that...Gods intention right from the get go was for Him to love us and in return we love Him. Gods unconditional love is so awesome that we humans really cant grasp or understand how full and perfect it is...however...there is coming a day when those of us that go to heaven...we are going to experience Gods vast love for us every moment for forever! So in all of that...let us know with certainly that God didnt create us to just run around and make do for ourselves and do the best we can living life our way. Let us know that in the grand scheme of the universe...so to speak...what God really wants and deserves...is our undivided attention? Do we really know that what God desires is for us to have a personal relationship with Him? Look folks, i know its a busy world we live in, i know most folks are running in two or three different directions trying to work, take care of kids, care for elderly parents, run errands, shop and many other things throughout the day. Then MAYBE get home in time to fix supper and rest a little and watch some TV. Many folks just cant seem to find enough hours in the day to get it all done...and...lets not forget to try and sleep a couple hours! Heres the thing, God knows we have things to do that are important to our survival here on planet earth. However, when all the "stuff" is getting put in front of our relationship with God...theres a problem there...a big problem! We must find time and learn to prioritize our day along with our relationship with God...and i know that seems hard...but think about it. God wants us to put time aside throughout the day to acknowledge him...worship Him...praise Him...talk to Him. We have to find the time to do this no matter what. Nothing is more important than our personal relationship with Jesus...NOTHING!
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark 8:36
“God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.”
- Augustine -
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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15-17
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.............
Luke 10:27
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
- Martyr Jim Elliot -
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4
Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that is "finding his place in it," while really it is finding its place in him.
- C.S. Lewis -
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
—Galatians 6:2
Really Love Others
~ To impact others with God's love, time and energy are required.
Scripture Reading:
"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” ~ Romans 12:9-10
Many of us make it a point to show interest when we’re with other people. We’ve learned how important it is to be cordial, make small talk, and express concern at the right moments, all of which are commendable. But take a moment to consider ways that God might want you to go further.
Pleasantries and polite chit chat are a good way to break the ice and begin a friendship. But watch for when God might be calling you to strive for something richer.
Are you available and willing to go beneath the surface?
Loving others well requires sacrifice — an investment of time and heartfelt energy in those relationships. It might involve shifting the calendar to spend time with a friend who needs to talk through a problem. Or it could mean going without an unnecessary purchase in order to bless someone who is hurting financially.
There are times when the Lord wants our relationships to go deeper, even when doing so gets messy. After all, isn’t that exactly what Jesus did with us? He loved us so profoundly that He gave His very life on the cross (Romans 5:8). Let’s follow His example by giving away a little more of our own life as we commit to truly loving the people around us.
________________
~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/really-love-others
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The Daily Article — May 31, 2024
~ North Korea bombards South Korea with balloons filled with waste.
As I’m sure you know, former President Donald Trump was found guilty yesterday afternoon in his New York City trial. I responded to the verdict with a Daily Article Special Edition you can read here. As more is known over the coming days, I will offer further reflections.
If you go stargazing toward the eastern horizon about twenty minutes before sunrise this Monday morning, you’ll see a rare sight: Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn will stretch before you, in that order, along a roughly straight line.
You will, however, need a telescope or powerful binoculars to see them all. Otherwise, you’ll have to take the word of astronomers that they’re there.
Another story from the skies has been making headlines as well: hundreds of large white balloons drifted from North Korea into South Korea on Wednesday. They were filled with trash and human waste, retribution for balloons from a South Korean activist group that earlier sent antiregime leaflets into North Korea along with USB drives containing boy band music.
Akin to the planets you will not be able to see Monday morning, the North Korean garbage was not visible until the balloons landed or otherwise exploded, but it was nonetheless real (and revolting).
The story reminded me of a time during the Cold War when some people from East Berlin dumped garbage in West Berlin. West Germans responded by stacking canned goods, bread, milk, and other provisions on the East Berlin side with the sign, “Each gives what he has.”
Their wisdom applies not just to nations but to people, including you and me today.
“Bad ideas have victims”:
This week we have been discussing the need for compassionate courage in speaking biblical truth to our broken culture. Let’s take each priority in order.
We will be more compassionate if we remember that many secular Americans have never heard the saving message of Jesus Christ. Like stars we cannot detect and balloons whose contents we cannot see, they don’t know what they don’t know.
I was one of them.
I grew up in Houston, Texas, part of what many would call the “buckle of the Bible belt.” There were churches all around our community, but our family didn’t go to any of them.
Consequently, I had no idea that Jesus died to pay for my sins or that I could ask Him to forgive me and become my Lord. Only when two men knocked on our door and invited my brother and I to ride their bus to church did I hear the gospel and eventually trust in Christ.
In my experience across nearly fifty years of ministry, most people who are not Christians have not rejected a saving relationship with Jesus, but rather a religion about Him. They think we want them to join our church and agree with our social positions.
This is partly because “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But it is also because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
I often quote my friend John Stonestreet: "Ideas have consequences, and bad ideas have victims."
• We will be more compassionate if we remember the spiritual lostness and eternal peril of those who are without Christ.
• And we will be more courageous if we remember the stakes, not just for the people we know but for the country we love.
Scripture warns: “The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all nations who ignore God” (Psalm 9:17).
Pastor Paul Powell commented on this text: “To forget God is to seal our own doom as a nation.”
As a result, he wrote:
"America needs you to stand courageously before evil. The sin of silence is all about us. Our generation needs to remember that silence is often golden, but at times it may also be yellow. To stand neutral is to stand for nothing."
He added: “The hope of America is in the great uncommitted majority.”
The Revolutionary-era political philosopher Thomas Paine made our point well: “Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice.”
Let’s choose the moderation of compassion coupled with the courage of principle.
When the task of impacting our broken culture feels too daunting, let’s remember that we work with an omnipotent God. Pastor and writer Erwin Lutzer was right:
“When you surrender your will to God, you discover the resources to do what God requires.”
To illustrate: Eighteen-year-old Mary Leahy fell off a farm cart and broke her right wrist two days before she was to compete at the Peterborough Music Festival in Canada. Instead of pulling out of the contest, she enlisted the help of Donnell Leahy, one of the best fiddle players in the country and a musician who toured with Shania Twain. He is also her father.
Mary played the chords with her left hand, while her father handled the bow with his right hand. How did it go? You can watch for yourself here.
Their duet makes my point: As we work, God works.
How will you partner with your Father today?
_________________
~ published by: Denison Ministries
https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/north-korea-bombards-south-korea-with-balloons-filled-with-waste/
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Now and Forever
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[a] being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
There are two classic mistakes we make as we perceive our circumstances:
The first is we treat the current twist and turn as eternal. "It will always be like this" is our heart’s refrain. We elevate our current situation to God-like status. It is omniscient and omnipotent. We serve the circumstance rather than God because we believe it to be the divine force. Whatever is happening to us is in control rather than God being in control.
The journey of life is an epic adventure. The things we do, have, and experience affect the rest of the journey. Our current reality is a preparation for what is around the corner, so that we aren’t just traversing but progressing along the way.
The second mistake we make is related. We miss the beauty of this moment because we are looking ahead. We want the future to solve our problems and we miss the value of the present. We fail to notice that the choices we make today shape what will happen next.
Like the Kingdom of God, the journey of life is something we are to fully participate in AND hope for a better future. Making the most of our journey includes experiencing the current opportunities for all they are worth, with a view toward what will come. Eternity is not just the future. It is the marriage of the present and the yet-to-be.
Each day, more of our eternal journey is being revealed to us. What choices will we make to make the most of today, both for what it is worth and for what is to come?
_______________
~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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Perceive the Good
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…” ~ Genesis 50:20
Whether we realize it or not, we always choose a perspective. Choosing a perspective is like knocking over the first domino. It leads to more decisions that follow the effect of the same line of perceiving.
In Genesis 50, Joseph chooses to understand, forgive, and influence his brothers by acknowledging the deep truth of his story. His brothers decided to kill him out of jealousy, then relented and instead sold him into slavery. Joseph recognizes the reality that harm was intended. But Joseph chooses to see that God used this evil to save the family. Joseph chooses grace toward his brothers.
Too often perception is something that just happens to us. We choose a perspective without even knowing. That causes a false reality. We aren’t able to distinguish between emotions and reality. We are quick to blame, to justify our anger, to defend our feeling. What is often lost in the midst is the reality that we are making choices.
If we want to live intentional, purpose-filled lives, we have to be aware of the choices we make concerning our perception of events, our own self, and the world at large. Like Joseph, we can choose a perspective that recognizes the good God intends.
________________
~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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