Posted on 10/27/2014 6:42:05 PM PDT by Steelfish
Evangelical Church Grapples With Growth of Gay Rights Conservatives Face Calls to Re-Examine Traditional Teaching on Homosexuality By TAMARA AUDI As advocates for same-sex marriage celebrate a series of legal victories and Pope Francis strikes a softer tone toward gays, the most-conservative quarters of the American evangelical Christian movement are wrestling with how to respond to a dramatically shifting legal and cultural landscape.
Most evangelicals remain firmly opposed to homosexuality, and see the increased legalization of same-sex marriage as a threat to religious freedom and proof of the deterioration of Christian values in society. But some are advocating...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
What there are, are some people wearing black robes pretending to find "rights" where nothing of the sort exist and the same denominations that have "struggled over" passages in scripture for many decades, now step forth to declare that either God didn't mean what He said about Sodom & Gommorah, or that He's changed His mind.
The Holy Spirit is quick to check Christians “thoughts” and Desires” but we can squelch that. Jesus said not to make provision for the lusts of the flesh.....someone who has a weight issue cannot expect to overcome it buying Twinkies and fudge to set in front of themselves. The same with any sin of the flesh.
This Pastor has not only been an offense before God in performing this fake marriage between homosexuals...but he's put the churches approval, as their representative, on their behavior and lust of. Anyone who might have never thought to even consider a homosexual encounter will now see it as just “another sexual experience” to entertain or try.
I had a cousin who was homosexual and died from Aids. I did not know him very well as he lived in another state some distance away, but I was made aware of the terrible death he endured as a result of his behavior and practices of. Also how it destroyed his family life and Carree. Becoming a Christian does not immediately make someone sinless....nor does the enemy of mens soul stop tempting....the difference is people have a choice now to refuse to act on it, the power and the help the Holy Spirit offers to resist.
If Jesus is living in a person, and they are then controlled by the Holy Spirit, God will naturally lead a person out of a life that is a slave to sin.
Yes they might be tempted once in a while, but will not go back into a habit of sinning and living as if they weren’t saved. Who wants worldly pleasure that leads to destruction when one has Jesus (long term anyway)?
Of course God is not the problem...man is and he still has the old nature within regardless. I have seen people who would appear not to be Christian, who you should have seen their life before they became Christian. I have also seen people you would believe are Christian but then show otherwise along the way.
There is no perfection this side of heaven....habits of the flesh are difficult to break and or overcome, and most are those of the flesh....ask any obese person who is a Christian that’s fought years to loose the excess pounds.
Most people who re trapped by this stuff would rather not be....Christian and not. Some who are not Christian overcome their habits...some who are Christian never do.
I think when it comes to Homosexuality though it’s so in your face today and no shame by those who practice that behavior. What was once done behind closed doors, as with adultery etc, are now flaunted in full view of the audiance...and then forced on other people to observe.
You ask who wants worldly pleasure? Even Christians today are showing they do.
Place a big fresh human turd in the collection plate, then get back to us on homosexuals being accepted as rightous.
I heard a guest preacher at our church once. He has a church in downtown Seattle. He had some Saturday “outreach” class for women. He noticed a lot of the women coming in pairs. He soon picked up that they were gay.
“I didn’t mean it to be a lesbian outreach - but that’s what it turned out to be!” His point was that we are all sinners and need Christ.
We were just explaining to our kids (again!) how of course the church should be welcoming to all sinners. But - people that don’t think that what they are doing is a sin and repent from it, should not be allowed in positions of leadership.
Their youth-group leader had laid down the rule that other older kids (college aged) that helped with the younger kids could have dating relationships - but no sleeping with their girlfriend/boyfriend. He found out about one couple that persisted after the warning and he kicked them out. I thought that was pretty good for a 26 year-old (married) to enforce.
Over time, if such willful, unrepentant sin continues, you need to separate yourselves from it. It sows discord and will begin to lead others of the congregation astray. There comes a time to invite the unreceptive who remain in obvious sin to leave. If they're trying, that's one thing. Minister to them, but protect others from their error. If they're denying, that's another. They've got to go.
The point is that Jesus can save the homosexual (or anyone else) and He does change their orientation, as that isn’t Biblical.
-JS
It’s all by Grace and nothing that we can work for, not even the regeneration of our minds, healing of our spirits!
In comparison to Christ, someone would love their pleasure? That’s an idol, friend, and God hates idols, those who love Jesus learn to love Him, even though we do clink to those at times..
More often than you’d guess.
Sounds good to me!
Well said. I agree.
Somebody posted this advice yesterday, and I found it works.
Gotothe article, copy it, then paste into Bing, and you can read the entire article.
I wonder how the congregation, with their loud "amen" condemning abortion, will vote next Tuesday.
A vote for a democrat is a vote for abortion.
And, to stay on topic ...
A vote for a democrat is a vote for sodomy.
I think you forgot to send the link. I’d like to see...
Sorry that I wasn’t clear. I was referring to the link for this thread that people have been saying that they couldn’t get on.
Go to the link provided by the OP, copy the title into Bing, and search. Then go to one of the links Bing provides, probably it will be the first or second, the wsj.com link.
It has worked twice now for me. Don’t guarntee that it will work all the time, but it did on this one.
Sorry that I wasn’t clear. I was referring to the link for this thread that people have been saying that they couldn’t get on.
Go to the link provided by the OP, copy the title into Bing, and search. Then go to one of the links Bing provides, probably it will be the first or second, the wsj.com link.
It has worked twice now for me. Don’t guarntee that it will work all the time, but it did on this one.
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OK, thanks!
did it work?
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