Today's Christian

[webb04]

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.Mark 8:38 (KJV)

Are we ashamed of the word of God? I challenge that as a society and a church we are at the very least not following His word. Be it out of shame or societal pressure is a mute point. There are Methodist churches that accept and condone homosexuality. And the Methodist church is not alone. There are churches in abundance that condone homosexuality, abortion, adultery, hatred, promiscuity, and that do not preach of sin, repentance and the cross. We are living in a Burger King society now; everyone thinks we are supposed to “have it your way”. Well friend, I am here to tell you this, if we have it our way it is having it satan’s way. Our way has brought us to sinful and adulterous society. Christ’s own words warn us of the consequences of such a broad path:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Matthew 7:13 (KJV)

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14

Homosexuality

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. Romans 1:26-27

Homosexuality is wrong, unnatural, and it is an abomination unto God. Yet somehow, this is not preached, in fact it is accepted and condoned, in many churches. It is expected to be thought of as normal in today’s society. But then again today’s society is full of humanism. Humanism is nothing short of whatever feels right, do it right now. Well, without God, many, many things feel right that is actually very vile and harmful. Unfortunately we have allowed humanism to get a strong grasp on America today. Right now, the senate is considering a bill that would make what I just typed a hate crime. The senate fails to understand that it is the exact opposite, it is love speech. Love for all of mankind, regardless of sin or lifestyle, and trying to show them the only way, the true path to freedom and peace. Jesus Christ and the message of His death, burial and resurrection is the only way to be truly free and happy. Lying in bed with a member of the same sex is only a broad path to a wide gate of destruction. We should love a homosexual the same as we love a brother or sister in Christ. If a fellow believer asks you about a biblical issue, you are sure to tell them the biblical truth. What if a homosexual asks you about biblical truth? Are you prepared to tell them what they need to hear instead of the wanted answer?
If you are prepared to dispense with some biblical truth, be prepared to face legal action if this bill gets enacted, because your laziness and apostasy has got the better of you, and now the road to redemption for the “protected” few is not paved, yet it is marked with potholes. Are these potholes you are willing to navigate, or are you going to be vocal now, and be civically active, Christ minded, and pave the road to national redemption? The choice is ours to make, and the outcome is no less that life changing, nation changing, to millions of lost and saints alike.

Abortion

I have written on abortion several times, but infanticide is an issue that sent about 1,550,000 babies back to God annually in the 1980’s and 1990’s. That’s a 20 year period. A twenty year period in which approximately 31,000,000 murders were committed. The irony, if you will, of this is that if an unborn baby is killed through a “crime” the perpetrator is charged with murder. If the mother decides that she is greater than God, and controls life and death, she is thought a hero for women’s rights in today’s society. Here are few scriptures on abortion:

Before I formed the in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life.Exodus 21:22-23 (KJV)

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Isaiah 49:1 (KJV)
Somehow we think that the God that knew children before they were formed in the days of Jeremiah and Isaiah is not the same God today. Somehow we think that this scripture doesn’t apply:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
And for even a little more double standard, the verses above from Exodus issues a death penalty for harming a child in the mother’s womb, just as society today, with the exception of infanticide by licensed providers??
Adultery & Promiscuity

And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. 2 Corinthians 12:21 (KJV)
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies Galatians 5:19-20 (KJV)
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:5 (KJV)
Warning enough? I would hope so, for as a Christian, our one hope should be to enter into the gates of Heaven to worship our Lord. This hope is lost when we become a whoremonger, sexually promiscuous unclean, sinful hypocrite. And yes, hypocrite is the correct word, for if you are in the church house on Sunday proclaiming Christ, then on Monday you are lusting after someone other than your spouse, you are a hypocrite. Christ should be proclaimed everyday as the center of our life. This includes not condoning the affairs going on around you at work, in church, or elsewhere. Grow a spine; speak up for your beliefs. When your “friend” starts telling you about this girl or guy, and it is not their spouse, you should make it known that this is wrong. When you don’t, when you feel that it is ok, then you are as guilty as they are, and of more. You have failed in your Christian duty as a watchman, and your duty to proclaim the gospel of Jesus.
Conclusion
We have an obligation to proclaim Christ to all people, regardless of lifestyle. WE have failed miserably in this obligation, and no doubt the blood of many souls is on a lot of hands. When you condone this immoral behavior, you are guilty. When you do not take opportunities to proclaim the love of Christ, instead showing hatred and bigotry, you should feel the flames, because you are dancing on the edges of a very real hell. The word of God is real as well, and can deliver you AND the homosexual, the prostitute, the whoremonger, the abortionist. When you sit by, idle, watching society zoom by on the broad highway that leads to hell, you should feel a deep sense of guilt and shame.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 1 Corinthians 1:23 (KJV)
I would challenge you to this; that once you start preaching Christ crucified, that a sinner will at first see this as a stumbling block. And he may be right; it will slow down the trip to hell. They will stumble at first, but they will soon see the stumbling block is really the chief cornerstone, the keystone that holds their faith and entry to Heaven.
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. Psalms 118:22 (KJV)
Jesus said unto them, Did ye ever read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Matthew 21:42 (KJV)
Jesus is the chief cornerstone to our faith. He was born of a virgin, crucified to make atonement for sin, buried to conquer death, hell and the grave through His resurrection. When we lose sight of the truth of Jesus Christ, and His entire message, we fall in grave danger as a nation and as a person. I quoted above Hebrews 13:8. God never changes, He is forever the same. Let me preface the next statement by saying Israel will never be replaced, they are His chosen people, His chosen nation. But the tree, if you will, of God, is large. And no doubt Israel is the main branches. But we have been grafted in thanks to the blood of Jesus. We are in grave danger now of being cast out of the tree. A bad branch is easily pruned to allow the rest of the tree to grow healthy.
Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Matthew 21:43-44 (KJV)

 

[CShephard53]

Kindly do not lump every Christian together when you accuse them/us of not preaching the Gospel. Some do it quite diligently.

 

[TheFathersDaughter]

I wonder if this will be moved to the homosexuality sub-forum or the abortion sub-forum. Or even both. Either way, this is propaganda. "Christian's don't care about this!" when obviously they do, and I see more than enough churches preaching against these things even to the point of offense. And I don't mean "well people find the Bible offensive". I mean calling names, acting superior, etc.

Next try and tell me that they don't teach anything about religion in public schools.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

The key flaw in your presumptionthat every Christian takes (or should take) the Bible to be literally true. After all, there is no scriptual basis for such a stance.
There is also the related flaw: what is stated in the KJV (specifically, the verses cited above) is assumed to be a 100% accurate translation of the original text. Some even say that if the KJV and the original text disagree, you take the KJV.

My point is that the 'literalist KJVo' stance is not the only stance available to Christians. Thus, your analysis is flawed.

 

[webb04]

Kindly do not lump every Christian together when you accuse them/us of not preaching the Gospel. Some do it quite diligently.

We live in a nation where the "numbers" tell us that 82% of the population is Christian, yet only roughly 30% make it to church at least once a week. I assure you that number is lower when adding in multiple services.

I agree that some people are preaching the message of Christ, but "some" doesn't get everything done. Until Christians can come together on a united front in love, prayer and fasting we will do nothing of significance.

IF you felt singled out, keep in mind that I do not even know you...therefore no way to single you out.

 

[webb04]

I wonder if this will be moved to the homosexuality sub-forum or the abortion sub-forum. Or even both. Either way, this is propaganda. "Christian's don't care about this!" when obviously they do, and I see more than enough churches preaching against these things even to the point of offense. And I don't mean "well people find the Bible offensive". I mean calling names, acting superior, etc.

Next try and tell me that they don't teach anything about religion in public schools.

If this is propaganda, so is the Holy, infallible word of God. So much of what I see in your post seems bitter. There is no reason to be bitter, truth is truth. No one is calling names or acting superior. Sin is sin, and EVERYONE of us has had it in our lives.

And more than enough churches are not preaching the Bible. There will never be "more than enough". Every church needs to preach the message of Christ crucified, and stand on the WHOLE wrod of God, not selected passages to appease the masses. Sometimes love is tough. You think it is easy to call sin what it is???

 

[webb04]

The key flaw in your presumptionthat every Christian takes (or should take) the Bible to be literally true. After all, there is no scriptual basis for such a stance.
There is also the related flaw: what is stated in the KJV (specifically, the verses cited above) is assumed to be a 100% accurate translation of the original text. Some even say that if the KJV and the original text disagree, you take the KJV.

My point is that the 'literalist KJVo' stance is not the only stance available to Christians. Thus, your analysis is flawed.

As a pagan, how would you know anything about scriputural truth? And I never once said anything about KJV only, never. Nor did I ever state that any translation of any version is 100% correct. But with the leading of the Holy Spirit, all things can be understood. The analysis, if you will, is nothing more than the words of God. Without a "presumption" of truth, your whole analysis is flawed. And as a wiccan and pagan, I would think your main concentration is on the passage concerning witchcraft and idolatry?

And yes, the Bible is literal, and also symbolic at the same time.

 

[TheFathersDaughter]

If this is propaganda, so is the Holy, infallible word of God. So much of what I see in your post seems bitter. There is no reason to be bitter, truth is truth. No one is calling names or acting superior. Sin is sin, and EVERYONE of us has had it in our lives.

And more than enough churches are not preaching the Bible. There will never be "more than enough". Every church needs to preach the message of Christ crucified, and stand on the WHOLE wrod of God, not selected passages to appease the masses. Sometimes love is tough. You think it is easy to call sin what it is???

Anyone who says all of us sins but only concentrates on the sins of others is expressing superiority, even if it's subconscious.

 

[webb04]

Anyone who says all of us sins but only concentrates on the sins of others is expressing superiority, even if it's subconscious.

So, I have a question for you. Should sin not be preached?

 

[TheFathersDaughter]

So, I have a question for you. Should sin not be preached?

It's one thing to preach what is sin. It's another to point out how others are sinning.

 

[webb04]

It's one thing to preach what is sin. It's another to point out how others are sinning.

I pointed at no one, only at sin.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

As a pagan, how would you know anything about scriputural truth?

I don't understand. Am I incapable of reading the Bible? I was a Christian for 11 years, and had read the Bible many times. It doesn't appear to have changed all that much since my deconversion...

And I never once said anything about KJV only, never.

It was implied. You quoted the Bible, and held it as God's word. You ignored other translations that contradict your quotations. Assuming you are not ignorant, my only conclusion was that you held the KJV to be the only true translation.

Nor did I ever state that any translation of any version is 100% correct.

Again, it was implied (see above).

But with the leading of the Holy Spirit, all things can be understood. The analysis, if you will, is nothing more than the words of God.

Which is my point: you presume that it is God's word. Other Christians disagree with you, and see the KJV as a biased and twisted translation. (I agree with them on this).
If your premises are true, then your analysis is true.

Without a "presumption" of truth, your whole analysis is flawed.

I'm sorry?

And as a wiccan and pagan, I would think your main concentration is on the passage concerning witchcraft and idolatry?

A logical assumption, but you are incorrect. I couldn't care less what the Bible says about witchcraft, Paganism, idolatry, etc.

What I am interested in is the parts alleged to pertain to homosexuality, since they are likely to impact my life.

That said, I was mostly objecting to your logic.

And yes, the Bible is literal, and also symbolic at the same time.

I can only assume that you mean it is literal in parts, and metaphorical in others. If so, how do you differentiate between the two? Is there an objective test?

 

[Dannager]

If this is propaganda, so is the Holy, infallible word of God.

Well there's your problem. The Bible isn't infallible. Your interpretation of it is lacking, to put it lightly.

 

[Stinker]

It is very natural for us carnal human beings to be attracted to and guided by these hot button issues. A person doesn't experience being spiritually born-again by taking sides on certain issues. Nor does doing such keep one a Christian.

 

[tulc]

Welcome to Foru.ms webb04!

You think it is easy to call sin what it is???

You kidding? It's the easiest thing in the world. It's much easier to simply dismiss something as a sin then it is to try and understand there's more to it then that.
tulc(glad you found our little corner of the web!)

 

[Armistead]

I'm all for preaching against sin...gossiping, judging others, hypocrisy, hate, self-righteousness, ect and so
on....

 

[davedjy]

There are Methodist churches that accept and condone homosexuality. And the Methodist church is not alone.

I will go a step further and say AFFIRM. Not all Christians believe the same on homosexuality and abortion, and those are two separate sub forums here, btw.

Romans 1 has been interpreted as a temple prostitution violation as the very reason they were given up (verse 22 -- for worshiping images of birds, reptiles, and mortal man).

 

[dayhiker]

Some sins are easy to name, like murder and adultery. Other sins aren't so easy, because what will hurt one person doesn't hurt another person. So one has to take time to get to knw other persons to know these things.

dayhiker