Homosexuality is a sin. It is a particularly offensive sin, labeled as an abomination in the Scriptures...and because I've said this I am considered a bully.
At least that is the consensus of those who participated in a recent LGBT seminar in town. You can read about it here. You will note that what constitutes bullying is not physical or verbal agression. Instead, it is simply not acknowledging a person to be a homosexual and accepting their lifestyle. In other words, to call out their sin and tell them that they are living a lifestyle that is contrary to the law of God will now be considered "being a bully." This is outrageous in and of itself. It would be like saying we shouldn't call rapists, pedophiles or murders what they are. However, what is even more preposterous is that this seminar had the backing of those who supposedly call themselves Christian. It was held at the Salvation Army, supported by a local church, and put on by a man who graduated from Ashland Seminary and serves as a professional mentor. What this amounts to is a push to make homosexuality acceptable. The idea is that, if you will not accept it on your own, we will make you accept it. You will become an outcast from society if you do not. In a word: We will bully you into submission by calling you a bully. But let us thank our local churches and ministries for helping to break down our community and for contributing to the further collapse of our society.
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Are you tired of your sins? Then look to Jesus.
Are you ridden with guilt? Then look to Jesus. Are you wallowing in shame? Then look to Jesus. Is the offense of your sin too overwhelming to you? Then look to Jesus. Are you longing to be freed from sin? Then look to Jesus. Have you succumbed again to that same old sin? Then look to Jesus. Are you too weak to overcome the cravings of your heart? Then look to Jesus. Is temptation too strong for you? Then look to Jesus. Are you nauseated by how feeble your attempts at resisting the devil are? Then look to Jesus. Are you grieved at how little the Lord means to you? Then look to Jesus. Are you sick or ailing? Then look to Jesus. Are you languishing under the discipline of God? Then look to Jesus. Do you long for heaven? Then look to Jesus. Do you want communion with God? Then look to Jesus. Do you yearn for what is right and good and pleasing in his sight? Then look to Jesus, and know that all that you seek, and all that you need, are here for you. Here in this meal Christ spreads a feast, where he himself is the main course. At this table Jesus offers himself to you, freely and without charge. And he beckons to you, saying, “Come satisfy the desires of your heart.” Today I'll be presenting a lesson on the doctrine of God's providence to my Jr. High class. I wanted to post it here so that it might be available to anyone else who may like to use or adapt it. (Here is a printable teacher's lesson. You can get the student guide here.) In our study of creation we said that there is a supreme God who is intimately interested in his creation. The doctrine of providence explains the interaction that this God has with it. As the text explained, God’s providence is explained two ways: His governing and sustaining. 1. What do we mean when we say that God in his providence sustains all his creation?
2. What do we mean when we say that God in his providence governs his creation?
In the realm of the sea we remember Jonah's flight from the Lord. God caused the tempest and the whale to come right at the very moment when it was needed. You can also think about how the Lord holds the waters back and keeps them from drowning the land (Proverbs 8:29; Psalm 104:9) When it comes to the realm of the land, we can think of the perfect degree of gravity. If gravity were slightly stronger, we would not be able to grow. Regarding the realm of the sky... Planes are aerodynamically designed according to the “laws of nature” (i.e. God's faithful providential working) so as to keep their flight. If these were to change slightly, then the plane would drop on your head.
3. God’s providence should make us… a. Admire Him: His power to uphold is amazing, especially given the fact that we should be robed of the very air we breathe! b. Pray and depend upon him, i.e. seek his blessing: We have the habit of praying before meals. This is because we recognize that it is not food that nourishes or medicines that heal. These are simply instruments that God uses when he wishes. Remember, the same quail that fed the Israelites in the wilderness was the same quail that killed thousands of them. (Numbers 11:33) c. Keep our peace: grumbling and complaining was a grievous sin for the people in the wilderness (the cause for the quail poisoning). We must learn not to murmur when supposed bad things happen to us. If we miss a shot in a basketball game or see loved ones die, we must not become angry at God and complain. In everything he is working out his wise and holy plan. d. Believe: All things work together for our good. “Behind a cloudy providence, there hides a smiling face” e. Be courageous!: Stonewall Jackson was said to be fearless in battle. This is because he understood that the bullets were directed by the very hand of God. He knew that not one of them could touch him until it was ordained of God. The Jews were not to fear the Assyrians when they marched against Jerusalem. God had said that they would be safe. Though the army was imposing, and imminent they never touched the Israelites. As a matter of fact, God afflicted them and caused many of them to fall. f. Thankful: This goes along with not grumbling and complaining. If God is providing in his provide-ence, then we should be ready to voice our humble thankfulness for all his works, no matter how bad they may seem to us. Look at Job. After all that happened to him, he would not raise his voice against God. Instead he said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. The name of the Lord is to be praised." |
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