It is my heart and purpose of "For This Cause" to give the absolute truth of God's word as it applies to our lives. I believe that this absolute truth is something that those who are searching for answers to life's questions or are simply trying to determine where they stand on issues, is what they are seeking.
In recent news it has come out, that recording artist Jennifer Knapp, has come out. She has revealed to world that she is a practicing homosexual. For those of you who may not know, Knapp came on the Christian music scene about seven years ago and had hit with her song "Undo Me". It wasn't extremely long ago that recording artist Ray Boltz also revealed his choice to live as a homosexual. There have been other "Christian" artists who have come out, but not to the media attention as Knapp and Boltz.
I pray that these "revelations" will not do what Satan wan'ts them to do. Leave those who are not firmly grounded in the truth of God's word and may be dealing with feelings of homosexuality, in confusion or push them in the wrong direction. It will speak to the younger generations the lie that you can be homosexual and a Christian. I hate to say that what hits me in the gut the most is that it feels like the other side, meaning the enemies of God, have gotten the upperhand and made Christianity look stupid, and like a school yard bully they are laughing at us.
The big question, I believe, is how? How can person believe in God, believe His word, write and sing such inspirational songs and choose to live a lifestyle that is against what they sing and even more against God's word? Let me say that we all in some form do things that are against God's word. Some people are decieved and blinded to what the bible says and means. Some choose only to believe parts of the bible. Some people have not had a firm, grounded foundation built in them. Still others are controlled by thier fleshly desires. Even spirit filled believers are not immune to giving themselves over to carnal desires.
I want to say something here that I feel needs to be said. The feelings that people dealing with homosexuality are having are real feelings. That is why they deal with so much confusion about why they are haveing the desires they have and the feelings of affinity or affection toward someone of the same sex. They are misunderstood, misguided, and twisted feelings, but they are feelings. The word of God admonishes us to walk in the spirit and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. This means to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, trust in God and seek Him. No, it's not always easy and it's not always done, but it can be.
Another thing I believe needs to be said is that God does not hate homosexuals. It was for them that Jesus came and died just like it was for me and for you. I wished that this could be put on billboards accross the nation. I believe if that were known, a lot more people would find it easier to seek God and find freedom. God does not hate homoesexuals, it is the sin and disobedience of homosexuality that He is against. Just like He is against the sin of pornography or the sin of gossip, or the sin of murder. God does not hate those who are involve or have been involved in any sin, He hates the sin. It is our choice to indulge or give ourselves over to the bondage of those sins that separate us and will separate us from God in eternity.
Now what does God's word have to say concerning this?
About homosexuality,
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 1:22
God did not say this to be mean or to enslave or to confuse. God said this because homosexuality is a twisted corruption from Satan on God's original design and intended purpose for man. God created Adam and Eve, male and female. Homosexuality is not a gene someone is born with. It is not the way God made some and not others. It is a demonically inspired, fleshly/carnal desire that is a choice made by an individual. We choose things about ourselves every day. Good and bad things. Even nature, created by God, shows us that male and female are the intent. There are also more scripture references against homosexuality than the one stated above.
Homosexuals and those that support their lifestyle and agenda are deceived by Satan, which is why we as Christ followers must speak the truth. Here is what God's word says.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should Shine unto them.
II Corinthians 4:3,4
God is saying here that Satan has blinded the lost so they cannot see the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.
God's word also tells us that we (Christians/Christ Followers) will be hated and persecuted for Christ's/the gospels sake. The kind of actions we have seen from the radical left and proponents of homosexuality should be no surprise to us and we should strive to see the positive side of it. Let's look again at God's word.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mathew 5:10-12 (NIV)
So how should we respond to homosexuality?
1. We should stand for what we believe, what we know is truth.
The bible says that creation itself is waiting for the appearance of the sons of God. That's us.
2. We should speak the truth in love.
If we love someone and want' to see the best for them, then out of love we should tell them the truth, even if it isn't what they want to hear.
3. We should love the sinner, not the sin.
Let me stress this. Your not going to show the love of God by showing disdain toward someone who is in sin. Jesus loved and prayed for people who were in sin. He loved the sinner not the sin. I have had friends and acquaintances who were homosexual. I cared for these people and talked and treated them as I would anyone else, but I never agreed or approved of their lifestyle.
The bible says to be a friend to the world, not of the world. There is a difference between being a friend to someone and not of someone. Being a friend to someone means you help them, have a certain level of fellowship with them, despite differences of opinion and belief. Being a friend of someone means you think and feel as they do about things.
I challenge and urge you to not let the choices of others dictate what you believe. I challenge you to move from belief to conviction about the truth of God's word. I challenge you to seek and build a relationship with God so that you may know Him and not just know about Him or what others tell you about him. God loves each and every one of us from the good to the bad and Jesus died for all of the wrong choices and sins we get into. That is the absolute truth.
In Christ,
Kevin
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Matter Of Faith
Early this year, the Lord spoke something to me. He said, "Your time of faith is now". Now, I don't know about you, but there are times with me when I am not sure if what I am hearing is God or just me, and then there are times I know it's God. That moment was one of the times I knew it was Him. I believe He was telling me that right now this year is my time of faith or believing for whatever I needed faith for. There are things that I am dealing with and being stretched by that I see I need to put my faith in action with. I'm sure that you can probably think of somethings in your life that you may be struggling with that you aren't sure about and need faith to get you through it.
This brings me to the subject of faith. A lot of people think they know what faith is and how it works or doesn't work. A lot of people who have taught on the subject of fiath have been misunderstood and some have taught the subject of faith out of misunderstanding.
Everyone has faith. God has given faith to us. From the moment we are born, faith begins to operate in our lives and as we grow and learn, it operates one way or another, either in a good way or a bad way.
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself mor highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." ( Romans 12:3 KJV )
The last part of that verse says God has dealt or given to every man the measure of faith. This means we all have faith. The issue comes with the fact that our thinking has been turned and twisted that we don't even know or recognize the very thing that created us and this world.
We are accustomed to the worlds way of thinking which is, "When I see it, I will believe it". Faith says, "I believe it and then I will see it". That sounds hard to do I know, but lets look at a couple of things.
The children of Isreal stood on the promise of a savior for hundred's of years. Well, he finally came. Yes, some turned and quit believing that a savior would come and even didn't believe it after he had came, but there were those who did not give up. Now think about this. I don't know where you are right know in your walk with God, but I am assuming you are saved as we call it. When you recieceved Jesus as your saviour, you did it purely out of faith. You believed in a God you had never seen and in a man you have only heard story of. Yet, something happened on the inside of you and you knew it, you believed it all to be true.
Faith is simply this; Trusting and believing God to do what He says he will do. Well, what if He doesn't? What If I trust Him for something and it doesn't happen? Not a single person who has dealt with faith has not been in that position. Some people have stood on faith and recieved the answer and some have stood and not recieved. I could try to explain that and I hate not to do so, but when it comes down to it, I really can't except to say that I know that God is faithful and true and we must always believe that He is, no matter what the circumstance or outcome of a situation. I can tell you this, that even if things don't seem to happen the way you are believeing for them to that God has a reason and an answer and He will give it to you in time. There agian it take trusting Him to give you the answer. There are some things that I have to try to explain to my little girls that I know they are to young to understand. I have to try to get them to understand as much as possible at the moment with the belief that in time as they grow and mature, they will better understand.
Today is Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday. Billions of Christians all over the world are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are celebrating and event that we have only heard about or read about in the Bible. We are celebrating an act that was done for us to save us from our sins and the price of those sins. We have not seen, yet we believe. I have been in church all my life and actively involve in ministry for the past twenty years. I have learned that no matter what, keep going and keep believing. I have learned that no matter what the situation or circumstances keep believing. I have learned that even if I don't understand, understanding will come. I have learned that it is a matter of faith.
Keep standing, keep believing. God is faithful and He is true. Your time of faith is now.
In Christ, Kevin
Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17, 11 Corinthians 5:7, Mathew 17:20.
This brings me to the subject of faith. A lot of people think they know what faith is and how it works or doesn't work. A lot of people who have taught on the subject of fiath have been misunderstood and some have taught the subject of faith out of misunderstanding.
Everyone has faith. God has given faith to us. From the moment we are born, faith begins to operate in our lives and as we grow and learn, it operates one way or another, either in a good way or a bad way.
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself mor highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." ( Romans 12:3 KJV )
The last part of that verse says God has dealt or given to every man the measure of faith. This means we all have faith. The issue comes with the fact that our thinking has been turned and twisted that we don't even know or recognize the very thing that created us and this world.
We are accustomed to the worlds way of thinking which is, "When I see it, I will believe it". Faith says, "I believe it and then I will see it". That sounds hard to do I know, but lets look at a couple of things.
The children of Isreal stood on the promise of a savior for hundred's of years. Well, he finally came. Yes, some turned and quit believing that a savior would come and even didn't believe it after he had came, but there were those who did not give up. Now think about this. I don't know where you are right know in your walk with God, but I am assuming you are saved as we call it. When you recieceved Jesus as your saviour, you did it purely out of faith. You believed in a God you had never seen and in a man you have only heard story of. Yet, something happened on the inside of you and you knew it, you believed it all to be true.
Faith is simply this; Trusting and believing God to do what He says he will do. Well, what if He doesn't? What If I trust Him for something and it doesn't happen? Not a single person who has dealt with faith has not been in that position. Some people have stood on faith and recieved the answer and some have stood and not recieved. I could try to explain that and I hate not to do so, but when it comes down to it, I really can't except to say that I know that God is faithful and true and we must always believe that He is, no matter what the circumstance or outcome of a situation. I can tell you this, that even if things don't seem to happen the way you are believeing for them to that God has a reason and an answer and He will give it to you in time. There agian it take trusting Him to give you the answer. There are some things that I have to try to explain to my little girls that I know they are to young to understand. I have to try to get them to understand as much as possible at the moment with the belief that in time as they grow and mature, they will better understand.
Today is Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday. Billions of Christians all over the world are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are celebrating and event that we have only heard about or read about in the Bible. We are celebrating an act that was done for us to save us from our sins and the price of those sins. We have not seen, yet we believe. I have been in church all my life and actively involve in ministry for the past twenty years. I have learned that no matter what, keep going and keep believing. I have learned that no matter what the situation or circumstances keep believing. I have learned that even if I don't understand, understanding will come. I have learned that it is a matter of faith.
Keep standing, keep believing. God is faithful and He is true. Your time of faith is now.
In Christ, Kevin
Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17, 11 Corinthians 5:7, Mathew 17:20.
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