Be Prepared to Meet Thy God!

            It’s time to start writing again. I know this because if I don’t my mind will explode. Actually I don’t think that would happen but just to be sure I am not going to find out. Sometime situations cross your path that leaves you with a sense of how far we are from God as a nation. As I have pondered this situation I realized that it is easy to say we are okay but they on the other hand are in big trouble. Or we can say we are on track and they are off track. What if we are all responsible for the church and what if we are all held accountable? I personally think the answer is we are accountable. In our men’s study last night we talked about Israel going into captivity. Daniel was a man of God and he was in captivity. We as the body of Christ must be blameless before the Lord. This is why I must speak out against this situation. Leviticus 5:1 “If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.” Also in Leviticus 4:13 “If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt.” We must confess our sin before God and plead for atonement.  

            So what am I talking about? I have pondered this for several days now because by sharing this I add to spreading of this issue but I believe I must because the danger of not sharing is worse than sharing. I want to make us aware so we can ask God to be merciful. On the weekend I saw a church sign online that had gone viral. Sadly this was found in Niagara Falls at an Anglican Church. Dr. Melvin Dieter of The Wesleyan Church, who also taught at Asbury, talks about the Anglican roots of Wesleyanism. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5nrjsu_JZs) This brief video points out our connection with the Anglican Church. As he stated there was a separation just as the Wesleyan church is not part of the Anglican. What if this separation is not enough and we are also responsible?

So before my head explodes, I am going to say something about it, all the while asking God to be merciful. Here is what the sign said. “Jesus Had Two Dads And He Turned Out Just Fine” Referring to Jesus' earthly father Joseph and divine father God, the church's rector Lynne Marchant said, “I don’t find it offensive in any way. We have people in our congregation who are homosexual. We are an all-inclusive church, a family. No one cares what your sexuality is. Come on in, we don’t see any difference.” Another comment said, “A sign outside the St. John’s Anglican Church in Niagara Falls, Canada was spotted, captured, and posted on Reddit this past week. Since then, the photo has received over 1,000,000 hits. Why? Because this is what most of us want to see  - love and acceptance for all. And to see the acceptance coming from a church, a Christian church – it is a beautiful thing.” And one more “I just see it’s time the church get with the program and see that there is a whole other world out there.”

            This sign and comments should make your cringe.  I am writing this not because I hate people or am homophobic but because I am a Christian who follows the word of God. As a minister of the gospel it is my duty to speak the truth of the word, not my word but God’s word. Jude 1:17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” We cannot make up our own truths. As a church that stands on the gospel we must speak truth. We cannot ignore what the bible states. Yes society is all for not murdering people or incest and violent practices as seen in Ohio. They will align themselves with scripture on these but on others they will not and refuse to listen. Romans 1 says, “God gave them over to their desires. 8 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” This act of homosexuality in both women and men is an abomination before God and we will feel the wrath of God just as they did in the Old Testament. God is not pleased with it, how could he be these are his words. So where does this come from. (Just a side note. I am pointing this out specifically but remember sin is sin and so is gossip.)

            (ESV) Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” Deuteronomy 23:17-18 “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. 18 You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,”

            There is more that could be said scripturally about this. The Queen of abominations has done a good job and many are being deceived. One last thing; this is not a letter of hate, it is a letter imploring you to humble yourself and ask forgiveness for this sin, appealing for mercy from the wrath of God. The word of God does not condone this lifestyle. Once you are aware and ask for forgiveness just as Leviticus states you can be forgiven and healed. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is more powerful than this disease. The church is not divided on this subject. The division comes when some do not heed the word of God and it’s truths. The word of God is our guide. You cannot remove or add pages to the word of God according to how you feel about it. The word always wins over tradition, reason and experience. So to this church and others like it, Amos said, “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. 12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” We cannot go on believing God will do nothing about the abominations found in His church. I will say one more thing from the Apostle Paul himself. 1 Timothy 1:18-20 English Standard Version (ESV) “18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” I will let the word of God speak on it’s own on this last matter.