Celebrating October 31st Growing up I got to participate in Trick or Treating until I was 12 (I think that is the oldest you are supposed to be). After that, I may or may not have gone 'bag snatching'. (I may or may not have gotten in some trouble as a youth:) I always enjoyed the dressing up and getting candy from total strangers. Think about it, how awesome is that? Once a year we jettison all the rules: dental hygiene- GONE! Calorie counting (not really the only time each year that we do this one, but so that we can all feel good will say this is the one time we do this) GONE! Talking and receiving candy from strangers..........................GONE! Oh yes-GONE! Sometime during my teenaged years and since, I have heard from our "RED" Christians (didn't red used to be associated with communism? Just a thought) that Trick or Treating is WICKED. It is Devilish. You know that type of churches I am talking about. They have those nifty signs that say "We don't Halloween. WE HALLOW THE KING!" A-W-E -S.O.M.E AWESOME AWESOME ARE WE!! (NIFTY CHEER FOR THE NIFTY SIGN). WE say Hallow you say KING Leaders "HALLOW" ALL- "KING" LEADERS- "HALLOW" ALL-"KING" WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! Anyway back to the story, or the rest of the story. When I became an adult (Not sure when that really happened, but the Government said at 18 for military purposes and voting and 21 for drinking purposes....not that I have ever drank as far as you know-I plead the 5th, no I don't, yes I do..........Confused? good!) I decided to go the Red Christian route until I studied for a Christmas sermon a few years ago. During that time I came to find that Christmas celebration began in the 4th century to give Christians something to celebrate during the pagan (Redneck false god worshippers) celebration of the birth of the Sun God. So Christians (or non pagans) would celebrate the S-O-N instead of the S-U-N. (I just like spelling that out, since I have heard no less than 1000 sermons with a preacher saying that. They are really original.....What's that smell? oh, it sardonicism (I just wanted to use the word sardonic,, it's a good Tom Crum (my dad) word) . It was during this time that I realized that there was no prohibition in scripture to celebrate "Halloween" since whatever origin it may or may not have had, has nothing to do with what is really celebrated today-CANDY, OH SWEET CANDY! As much as I love the Reformation (Also happened on October 31st) and the 5 Solas that it brought about/back: 1. Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone 2. Sola Gratia: Grace Alone 3. Sola Fide: Faith Alone 4. Solo Christo: Christ Alone 5. Soli Deo Gloria: The Glory of God Alone I also think that the Reformers would want my children to celebrate there freedom by eating candy and sharing it with dad! Especially if they get some Reseese Peanut Butter Cups (I really like those).

Celebrating October 31st by Trick or treating! If you have some comments to make, go ahead, and when I get back from taking my kids to get candy from neighbors and strangers I respond.

For you "Fall Festivalers"...well have fun.

Eating Candy from Trick or Treating for the Glory of God and having fun for both us and the RED CHristians.

S

The Gospel to the Homosexual pt 4 (FINAL) Presenting the Gospel: I don’t pretend to have precise gospel presentation to homosexuals or anyone for that matter. I learned the Romans Road years ago, and I still use those verses often when sharing the gospel with someone. I am familiar with the FOUR Spiritual Laws, and I learned and taught F.A.I.T.H. and have come to love “Quest for Joy”. I would even recommend that Christians learn some way to articulate the gospel in a very simple, abbreviated form. Opportunities come up all the time (if we are looking for them) to simply share truths with people that God has been moving in their hearts long before we come onto the scene. So, for those staunch Calvinist who believe the gospel is too big to put into an outline are rejecting the very doctrine that they cling to- God is sovereignly working out all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). I am not picking on them because…well as my dad would say-“I are one”(A Calvinist that is). Learning to present the gospel in a few minutes can be a very fruitful means to leading people to the Treasure of the Universe. Although these short abbreviated outlines can be fruitful, they are NOT EVANGELISM. What I mean is that an outline of presenting the gospel is not to be confused with THE GOSPEL! I say this because I know many people who have mastered Gospel Outlines yet in truth they don’t know the gospel. They are nothing more than used car salesmen peddling the gospel as they chalk up another notch on the belt. That is no gospel life. So how do we preach the gospel? What is the call to evangelism? It is to make Disciples. Not present outlines, leave tracts, get someone to sign a “commitment card”, raise a hand, say a prayer or does anything else (although all of these things, however outdated they maybe, can and have been useful). Making Disciples is the key to effective Evangelism. The assumption here in this short little series is not that we are going to meet, greet, gospel and invite in a fifteen or thirty minute timeframe. (Although I am all for that, but reality is that it rarely happens that way, and the bulk of those type of decision have a very little- lasting gospel effect on the life of the “convert”). The assumption is that we are going to have spent some significant time with people, build a relationship. Invest our very lives into people with and through the gospel. So what is the best way to share/preach the gospel with a homosexual, or anyone for that matter? Let me give two quick thoughts. Again, this is assuming that we have some relationship to the lost person whether a co-worker, neighbor, family member, or friend. I) IT HAS TO BE GOD! God is the only one that can turn a sinner from his/her sin to trust Jesus Christ. (See First Blog). People are really, really wicked. None of us can turn from our sin on our own. Romans 8:7 “The Carnal/Fleshly/Sinful mind is hostile towards God. It does not submit to God and neither can it”. 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit of God does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them”. Only God can cause someone to come to trust in Him through Jesus. 1 Corinthians 12:3 “No one says Jesus is Lord accept by the Spirit of God”. Other references would be Eph 1:11,2:1-10, Matthew 16:17, John 6:37,44,65). God has to be the one to open the eyes of someone to Trust Jesus. II) We have to do our best to Show them Jesus! God doesn’t need us-(Acts 17:25 “God is not served by humans as thought he needed anything, because He himself gives life, breath, and everything else.”) God saved us that we might glorify Him by enjoying Him (the Most Enjoyable being in the Universe). Ephesians 1:11 He chose us….12 That we would be a praise to His Glory/Beauty”. “We are a Chosen People, a Holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession that we would proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out our darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Our greatest joy is in God. So our dutiful privilege in preaching the gospel is to show Jesus as the greatest treasure. Matthew 13:44 “The Kingdom of Heaven (Jesus) is like a man on a journey who stumbled across a great treasure hidden in a field. And with exuberant joy sold all that he had to obtain the treasure”. Jesus is the treasure that is hidden in a field. Our job is to point people to the treasure. To show sinners His Excellencies, beauty, and glory. When we do this, they will see their sin. Our job is not to highlight their sin, as if their sin was central to the gospel. People see their sin necessarily because of two things. 1. When you see the true Beauty of God in Jesus we naturally see that we don’t measure up and we are profoundly aware of our wickedness. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah has a vision of the Beauty/Glory of the Lord. At the end of his vision of the Beauty of God in Jesus Isaiah says “WOE, is me, for I am a man of unclean lips”. When Isaiah saw the unveiled glory of God he couldn’t help but be aware of his own sinful nature. Peter is another example of this. Although there are a few examples of Peter’s awareness of his sinful nature I’ll list one. In Luke 5 Peter and the gang head out fishing after a long fruitless night of fishing. But this time Jesus is with them. They catch so much fish that they had to have more the boats help them and the boats began to sink. WOW! But that is not really the point. Peter was confronted with the Beauty of Jesus so he fell at the knees of Jesus and said “Get away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man”. When people see the True Beauty of God in Jesus Christ, they are by necessity confronted with their own sinfulness. 2. The second reason people will necessarily see their own sinfulness in the Beauty of Jesus is because the greatest demonstration of Jesus’ beauty is the Cross! The Beauty of Jesus is never seen more beautiful than on the cross. I know that Jesus lived a very important life. I know that Jesus’ life was valuable while living as a man on this planet. However, Jesus repeatedly stated that he came to lay down His life. He lived to die and raise back up His life. (John 10:8-29). What makes the cross so attractive to those who believe is that on it Jesus perfect Humanity and divine love are screaming loudly. “God demonstrated his love in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We are ugly, wicked, disgusting, unloveable sinful creatures and Jesus died to make us loveable! When someone sees this, truly sees this through the life-giving-changing illumination of NEW BIRTH by the Holy Spirit, then they see that they are wicked and that Jesus is beautiful. So, I believe that our sin is part of the gospel story, but it is not the story and it is not central. Jesus is central. And when Jesus is seen as beautiful then our sin is seen as something that needs to be cleansed and removed. So what does this translate into? Well, I am not totally sure how this looks in every situation of preaching the gospel (What I mean is that I am sure that people could come up with a million “for instances” that I cannot answer perfectly). But I believe that this type of preaching, a preaching or telling of the Beautiful Story of Jesus and His Glorious, Gracious, Love is what people need to hear. We can’t talk about the Cross in a God-honoring way without talking about sin, but we can’t make sin the central theme! This type of thinking and preaching and living should bring about love in a Jesus’ follower’s heart, not hatred, not indifference. The difference is how I say repent. Do I say “REPENT” with a tenor of anger, or do I say “repent” with a tone of brokenness. IF we really love the gospel, then every time we preached it, we would be broken. Hope this helps, it has helped me. I really want to love the gospel in a way that speaks volumes of Jesus Christ and shows off His beauty in spite of and above my wickedness. Jesus help me! -Trying to live a gospel life with you, S

Praising God for new life! My dear brother, from another mother, In THE LORD and good friend Derek Eisan and his wife Heidi had their first baby, a boy this week. Little Joey Steven was born on Tuesday (10/17/06). He was 6lbs 10oz and 19inches long (the body that is:)) I am so thankful for this baby. He is a gift and a testimony to God's goodness in answering prayers. Derek and Heidi, we are soooooooooooooooo happy for/with you for this new life. We'll be continuing to pray for the you three and that Christ will open his eyes to see the beauty of Jesus Christ at an early age. Many of the readers of this puny, insignifacant blog know and love you also. Thank you Lord for the gift of life, both physical and spiritual.

The Gospel to Homosexuals Pt 3 How to preach the gospel pt 1 First let me encourage you to listen to Tim Keller's talk from the Desiring God conference- The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World - Pastor Tim does an excellent job (the best in my opinion) of addressing how to live and preach the gospel in a PostModern culture. Let me just review quickly what we have said up to this point: 1) Evil is Forsaking Jesus Christ as the Only All Satifying Fountain of living Water to embrace something else. You can either embrace something God has given us permission to enjoy (in order to enjoy HIm more fully) like: A wife (if you are a man), husband (if you are a woman), a house, food, etc etc, or you can forsake Christ to embrace that which God has strictly forbidden in scritpures, like sex outside of marriage, drunkeness, murder, homosexuality etc etc. The Evil is namely rejecting Christ to embrace something else. A man married to a hot chick can reject Christ to enjoy her more than Christ and he is going to suffer hell in this life and the life/death to come just as any other sinner. 2) We should view Homosexuals as Humans who are created in the image of God and need desperately the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not view Homosexuals as lepers that we should avoid them and shout "Jesus Loves you" with a hateful scowl on our faces. This is what we have discussed to this point. How do we preach the gospel to anyone? That is really the question. Should how we preach the gospel to a Murderer be any different than how we preach it to an innocent child? The answer is yes and no. Yes, in that Jesus Christ should be the theme. People need to see their need for Christ to cleanse them from their sin and the bondage they are in so that they can freely enjoy Jesus Christ as the ultimate prize in the universe. This is is a tough fete to preach to people these days. The Post-Modern says that there is no absolute truth. SO many post-ex-Christians say that God is a God of love and therefore is accepting of all people regardless of their religion, nationality, sexual preference, and so on. The Problem for those who follow Christ is that this smacks the Bible in the face. Scriptures are clear that God hates wickedness/sin. So we cannot make light of sin. Yet, at the same time we have to find a way to communicate the gospel in a way that demonstrates that is seen as loving and not condescending (from one human to another human). I think that the thing that will help a Christ follower in this is to remember John 3:16-18. Belief in Christ is what saves/justifies and unbelief is what condemns (not the specific of the manifestation of their sin). SO how do we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ- the Gospel that includes sin, wrath, condemnation, hell, eternal death, eternal life, joy, bondage and so much more? How do we preach love through wrath? Our tenor and disposition has to be one of love, care, concern, patience, kindness (Romans 2:4 "Do you show contempt for the riches of God's kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance?"- YOU- meaning you and I, God was patient with us, so we need to demonstrate that patience). Here is the point for today: We need to lovingly show that the very means by which God showed HIs love was through Wrath- Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were yet sinners Jesus Christ died for us" The very way that God demonstrates His love is in pouring out His wrath on Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ suffered wrath not only for us (for those who believe) but as us! WHAT LOVE! Without wrath hanging over us, we could never fully understand the love that God has for us. The very way that God chooses to prove His love for sinners is in sending His Son, to not only suffer wrath, but to suffer at the very hand of God the Father (Isa 53:10- "It please the Lord God to crush His Son and cause Him to suffer") We need to preach this first with our very life. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul writes "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel (in words) of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us". We need to depart to people our lives for the sake of the gospel. This is the "GREAT COMMISSION". Not leaving a tract on a table for your server after you have bitched about every little thing, but departing the gospel in and through and above our lives! Colossians 1:24 says "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my body what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church". Paul was not suggesting that we add to the sufferings of Jesus' as if it lacked some power or efficacy. Paul believed it was his life to continue to preach Jesus Christ even if it meant suffering, and by suffering people will be pointed to the Cross of Jesus Christ. So to preach the gospel we must become friends to those in the world (friend of sinners was Jesus) and love them, and not just depart outlines to them, but rather live the gospel in front of them and with them preaching always of the Love of Jesus. Conclusion: If we are going to lead anyone to Christ, it is going to be through a relationship that exhibits the Love of Christ and joy that is found in Him. Not through bitter preaching from a distance. this means that people will have to come into our homes and see our lives and see what Jesus means to us. We can't just 'talk' about love, we have to demonstrate love! I'll wrap this up in one more blog on this subject- til then- grace, mercy, and peace to ya, s

JUST FOR FUN! See how many difference you can find in the two pics in 30 seconds. After 30 seconds the narrator makes it more challenging by talking some smack as you look! http://members.home.nl/saen/Special/Zoeken.swf Let me know how you did! I found 5!

True Jesus Following: What an incredible morning. I am limping because I have met with the Lord this morning (Gen 32). (Most of what I am going to say here is engraved in my heart by Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NY). I am amazed how good and gracious our God is. I have heard, by His doing (Mt 16:17, Ps 118:23), the good news of God with us (Immanuel) – Jesus Christ! And I need it as much as I did on December 8, 1984 (my first recollection of acknowledge/confessing with my mouth Jesus as Lord). I need the gospel as much as I did on July 17, 1988 (Another milestone in my life spiritually) and February 17, 1995 where I wrote in my bible- “Lord send me anywhere, only go with me”. I need the gospel every moment of my life. I just want to confess that! My soul and heart have been battered against the Rock with the waves of the gospel this morning. As usual I began to contemplate how that should look in my life. It is much easier to write out what it should look like in the life of others. So, I’ll do that, because in my heart I am really a scared little kid who doesn’t want to be exposed for the wicked sinner he is (I am). To be truthful, I don’t mind saying I am wicked generically. I am ready to say with anyone- I am utterly depraved apart from Jesus Christ. But- Oh how I fret the thought of people seeing all the horrific iniquity in my mind, heart, and lips. WOE is me, for I am man of unclean lips. I’ll have to ask that you just take me at my lying word (shouldn’t be too hard if you just look into your own heart and mind through the lens of the gospel (James 1:22-24 http://www.theriv.org/index.cfm?page=8)-you should find the same wickedness that shouldn’t fall too short of mine). Here is the crux of what is pounding me over and over again that brings me great pain and joy at the same time. I feel like the Alanis Morissette song “hand in my pocket”. I am wicked but I am righteous (in Christ). What tension! If there was one word that sums up the way I feel lately it is TENSION. I have the entire gospel, yet I need more (not sure how that works- I have another paper that is unpublished on WHY I HATE/LOVE WORDS-unpublished on the blog because it is ‘Babel’ or confusion.) This week I attended a B-R-utal meeting. The point of the meeting was to have a council grant an application for a home development that would help out the lower income work force. It is not a government program, but rather a private organization that helps out people to live the “American Dream” as the chairman of the company put it (as best as I can recall-incase his lawyer stumbles across this, although I have not used the names of anyone or any organization to protect them, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda) The phenomenal thing is that several people got up declaring in some way shape or form that they were Christians, or at least that they were Church going citizens of the community. However, in their arguments against something that would benefit others and not themselves, they made it clear that they were not interest in benefiting others at the cost of their property value. Does this make them bad? You tell me. But Jesus gave up everything in order to provide benefits (wretched way of describing it) for undeserving people like me, without gaining anything from it. So, should this be the example for Jesus’ followers to follow? Isn’t that what the letter from Peter suggests (1 Pt 2:21-25). I realize that Peter is talking about suffering at the hand of evil doers and suffering for their good, namely the gospel being proclaimed through our suffering. But, isn’t the principle the same? Shouldn’t we give up our rights to have our property values not increase, to show the community that we love it and desire to promulgate the gospel to the whole community? It’s hard to say- I love you through a privacy fence. Whether those that opposed the application are right or wrong- I can’t really say (although I really want to), but what I can say is that it seems that Christianity has become more about self and the rights we have, rather than JESUS CHRIST. I really want to be a Jesus Follower. I really want to think Missionally. SO, I am laboring more and more to see things in terms of the Mission that Jesus not only called us to, but demonstrated to us. He gave up His heavenly Throne to enter into a culture that hated Him and rejected Him, so that HE could save it. Tim Keller, quoting Sinclair Fergasen, said (Paraphrased)“We need to learn from Jonah’s mistakes. The wicked sailors cried out to Jonah for him to do something to save them from the storm. When Jonah was pierced to the heart, he gave up his own life jumping over board for the salvation of the crew”. I need to learn and live this. I really believe that we all need to learn and live this as Jesus Followers. This is just a side rant because I was pierced to the heart about my own short comings. What are your thoughts? Do you like Pancakes? I do! www.theriv.org Til’ next time, SC

The Gospel to homosexuals Pt 2 “How to Should Christians View Homosexuals?” I have been in many church settings where a speaker lashes out against the media. “The media is prejudiced, intolerant, biased against Christian Conservatives” they say. “They say we’re intolerant, but they are the ones who are intolerant…… of us” they continue. While there is some truth to this (in my opinion- …. The opinions expressed in this blog should not be misconstrued with those of Sam, the Affiliates of this blog, and anyone else….oh wait, I am Sam, never mind) indictment-there is something to the “media’s”, and the general public’s, perception of Christians. We do come across very prejudice and bigoted. This past month I have received emails from no fewer than 3 people who name the name of Christ as their savior where the sender is taking a very prejudiced view against other people. In one case there was a very unChrist like disposition against Spanish-speaking people. Another was against “gay” (or queers as the email put it- WOW, what love?.... Sorry the sarcastic bug bit me again) people of the community. Before coming to trust Jesus Christ (not to mention my wicked heart that remains since coming to Christ….. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Roms 7:24…Thank God for Romans 8:1!) I was utterly wicked. I was guilty of making offense against the whole law (James 2:10-“Whoever keeps the whole law, yet offends in one point is guilty of all”). I did not nothing good, wholesome, pure, righteous, God-honoring, faithful (Rms 3:10-18,23, Jeremiah 17:9, 1 Cor 10:31). Specifically I was a lusting, selfish, fornicating, occasional pot-head, drunkard (all to impress some other pot-heads, drunkards), juvenile sinner (I have no intentions of any self pomp here, I was a boring sinner, but I am guilty of all of this against my God. No one is going to make a movie of my pitiful wicked life before coming to Jesus.) I can’t imagine finding Christians attractive, full of light, if what Christians (Little Christ’) would have talked about my sin as if I was some sort of leper. If I walked into a church and heard some angry preacher yelling about drunks as if he was better than me, I would have first kicked his ass (at least in my mind) and then stormed out thinking- “What a bunch of self-righteous bigots”. So, how do we think drunkards, porn stars, strippers, homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts perceive Christians when we speak against them as if they are the enemy? That is the problem. So many Christians think that “flesh and blood” is the enemy (Ephesians 6:12). We act as if we are so far removed from our sin that we ought to judge the world for their sin. We have unashamedly judged the world for their wickedness while allowing the professing Christians in the church go on in all sorts of wickedness. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says- “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge these inside? God will judge those outside (the church). ‘Expel the wicked man from among you”. (This should be done in love also, not in anger, but we’ll save that for another time). The bible says that we have no business in judging the world. Yet, that is the pastime of Christians these days. We think that holding a sign that reads “Leviticus 18” with a smile on our face is an act of love. (I am not saying Christians should never stand up for righteousness sake) You/we can’t say we have love for sinners/homosexuals when we laugh at jokes ridiculing them, look at them with disdain, avoid them like the pan-handler on the street, and never extend the love to them that we would a family member. Jesus said that we should not be inviting our brothers, sister, cousins over for dinner, but the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind (I take this to mean spiritually as much as physically. And as Christians we do look at certain sinners this way) Luke 14:12-14. I have rambled on some, let me close with a few scriptures that I believe help us in our understanding to view all sinners. 1) Matthew 5:4 “blessed is those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. An outsider might think that Christians interpreted this as “Blessed are the pissed off, for they shall be vindicated in all of their agendas and control the Senate and the House” James 1:19-21 says “My dear brothers (pretty gracious) take note of this; every one should be quick to listen (WOW! LISTEN- WHAT’S THAT? ) and slow to speak (Are you kidding me, this is in the bible? YES IT IS-SORRY it’s not my fault, I have a touch of the “bug”…sarcastic that is) and SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW TO BECOME ANGRY. For man’s anger DOES NOT bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth, and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” the com(CAN SAVE YOU, It hasn’t yet-at least not if we are angry and bigoted). Kingdom pupils are happy when they mourn, for they shall be comforted with assurance of salvation from their own wickedness and comfort of creation being restored at the final glorification of the sons and daughters of glory because of Jesus’ righteousness. 2) Acts 10 Peter has a vision where God tells him to eat “unclean” (by Old Covenant standard) animals. Peter says- “No, Lord, I have never eaten an unclean animal”. God corrects Peter and tells him not to call unclean what HE has cleansed. This happened three times (10:16). Peter has a knack for needing to hear things three times (John 21:15-21). Later on Peter preaches to the “unclean” Gentiles (who represent every sort of wickedness that we could do or think of) and interprets this vision and conversation with God by saying that the “unclean” thing that God has cleansed is Gentiles. Gentiles were to Peter (and the other Jewish converts to Christ Followers) what Homosexuals are to Conservative Christians in America today. God is saving Homosexuals from there wickedness of “forsaking the Fountain of living water to embrace broken cisterns created by their own hands, which hold no water”. - Here is the Kicker-for those of us who were “reconciled to God through Jesus Christ” we were all homosexuals to God (Js 2:10). We were/are certainly no better apart from Jesus Christ. We should view Homosexuals as PEOPLE who need Jesus Christ. We should view our brothers and sister in Christ who still struggle with same sex attraction and lust as our family members who need help in overcoming their sinfulness as they help us with our gossiping, lusting, adultery, fornicating, lying, hatred, bigotry, pride, filthy greed, stealing (especially from God), neglecting to tell and live the GOOD NEWS THAT JESUS CHRIST came to save sinners! Like Us. Like the Gentiles. Like the woman caught in Adultery. The woman at the well. The tax collector who climbed up the tree (that wee little man!). The Pharisee (Paul). The bigot (Peter). The Thief (on the cross next to Jesus). The Husband Pimp (Abraham). The John with his daughter in law (Judah). The liar (Jacob). The Coward and bigot (Jonah). THE WORST SINNER OF ALL- SAM. I am guilty of everything I am blogging against. I am worse. I have much hatred in my heart. God help me. GOD HELP ME! God, Your people are wicked (I am wicked). We need Your grace to continually remove the filth from our lives and hearts. We need You to help us live the Gospel. Preach the gospel. Love the gospel. We need the gospel to continually renew our minds (I especially need this Lord) and transform us to think beyond the realm of our own interests and agendas, but to think in terms of eternity. To think in terms of that which Transcends this world. Thank you for sending Your beautiful Son into our culture through the WORD ETERNAL so that we may know YOU! Proud in my sin, humbled by Jesus- S

The Gospel to homosexuals: PT 1 This is such a controversial subject as well as an extensive one. Since it is such a sensitive issue I will write this out over several blogs. There is no way to start this out without offending someone, so I’ll say from the get go that God loves and saves homosexuals (1 Corinthians 6:9 “do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters…..homosexuals…. will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were!” that means that God saved them as homosexuals as well as other sinners) God sent His only Son to die for drunkards, wife-beaters, manipulative women, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, greedy people, gossips, slanderers, prostitutes and strippers, porn addicted teen-aged boys to dads, homosexuals, liars, and every other type of sinner there is. What a good and gracious God! Let me also say that I believe Homosexuality is a manifestation of a sinful heart, just like any other internal or external manifestation of the wickedness of mankind. (1 Cor 6:9) It is no more egregious to God than say a kid who lies to get out of trouble. God hates sin. The first thing we need to do is define sin. Romans 3:23 says- “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD!” Let me share a few thoughts on this verse that I believe will help us best understand the true nature of sin. First there is a connection between “sin” and “fall short of the glory of God”. In fact, the two are the same thing. To sin, is to fall short of the glory of God. So does this mean “miss the mark”? I know that if you have been to a good fundamental church service or Sunday school with a teacher holding the ever valuable “leader’s guide” then you have heard that sin means “miss the mark”. Aren’t you impressed when a teacher/preacher gives you the literal meaning of a word? I know I am (is that sarcasm you ask? WHY- yes it isJ)! It sounds sooooooooooo smart doesn’t it? That literal meaning is only helpful if the teacher explains the verse right, which most don’t. So the rabbit trail was most uselessL. Usually what follows is an illustration about two people, let’s say you and I, that we are going to have a contest. Let’s see who can throw a rock to the moon, or come the closest. You can throw a rock about 50 yards high in the air: pretty goodJ! Way to go! But I, being an ex-athlete, and a QB at that, can throw the rock 60 yards high! WOW! But, they both fall short of the moon! (And perhaps fall back down injuring us both- stupid contest!) Now, at this point what we have heard is that none of us can be as HOLY as God. We have “missed the mark” of being as perfect, holy, and righteous as God. As true as all of this is, it is not the ultimate meaning of this verse. It can’t be, although it is a true statement. The real meaning is that our sin is that we fall short of glorifying God by Enjoying Him as the Treasure of the universe above every thing and everyone else! We are created, therefore, never had the ability to be as Glorious as God. It is impossible for the “creature” to be as glorious as we were in the perfect created state of Adam and Eve, let alone the Creator. So the connection is that we sin, by not glorifying God the way we were created to glorify God and enjoying God as most gloriously enjoyable. So, sin is connected to God’s glory. Second, God’s glory is sinned against when we prize other things more than God and His will. Jeremiah 2:12-13 helps explain this well. “Be appalled o heavens and shudder with great horror” declares the Lord. “My people have committed two great evils: They have forsaken ME, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” The two evils were forsaking God, the fountain of living water, and embracing broken cisterns. They are seen as two evils in two ways. 1) They are two evils in that it is doubly offensive to God (that we’d forsake Him, and that we’d attempt to be satisfied in something other than God) and 2) that is how we see it unfold. In reality there is just one evil. When we forsake God, we by necessity embrace something else. When we flee pursuit of joy in God, we must do it to find joy else where. And the converse is true, when we go to pursue joy in something other than God, we by necessity forsake God. This is evil. This is sin. So we sin, when we forsake to find our joy in God to find it somewhere else. That is sin> not treasuring God as the ultimate, indescribable gift (1 Cor 9:15, Mt 13:44). Any sin, including Homosexuality, is not really about the outward manifestation of that sin, but rather the internal desires of the heart. For some it is about finding satisfaction, happiness, fulfillment in the sexual gratification. For others it is about longing to be loved because someone else rejected you. I know a guy who is “gay”. His father left his home when he was 12. He longed to have a male leader figure in his life, so that when a man came and showed him love, he said it was sexually attractive to him. In other words, he transferred the love into something sexual, therefore exchanging something good for something less than good. (This is his testimony). The sin at the heart is that this guy longed to be loved and love someone more than God and in addition to that, to love that (in at least that way) which God has forbidden for creative reasons. The sin is not just the act of sex between two guys, but rather that they desire to be satisfied apart from God and God’s will. Sex between and man/husband and a woman/wife, is God’s way of continuing the creative work and pointing people back to Himself and His glory and the joy that He brings. When two men or two women get together, whether in marriage (in MA or HI) or just live together or have an ONS (one night stand) it doesn’t show God as the Glorious, Loving, Holy Being that He is. So, it is wicked because it goes against the design of creation in being “formed” in God’s image. It is wicked because it “forsakes God, the fountain of living water” for “broken cisterns that cannot hold water”. Another way that it “falls short of the glory of God” is that they (two men, or two women) don’t fit the way that Adam and Eve (or any man and any woman married to each other) together in a natural way, so that it doesn’t point to God, but rather lies about the creator. That brings dishonor to God and takes away joy for the sinful party. Since God created us “Male and Female” to come together in marriage to show Him as glorious, homosexuality is a broken cistern that cannot hold water because it goes against God’s creative design. That which goes against the creative Design, “falls short of showing God as glorious” and cannot fulfill the way God’s unbridled glory will bring true pleasure (Ps 16:11). The point of this series is to show that God doesn’t look at Homosexuals any differently than he does any other sinner. The Hell on earth and eternity is no less hell for the homosexual than it is for the Married Republican with 2.3 kids, a house, a dog, and a good job, who treasures-house, 2.3 kids, his job, dog, and at least twice a week his wife and three times if it is their anniversary J above Jesus Christ. Conclusion of Part One: Sin is not a list of things we do or don’t do. Sin is choosing to find happiness, satisfaction, pleasure (or whatever synonym you prefer) in something other than God Himself through the gifts that God gives to us to point us to Him (Like a wife if you are a guy, or a husband if you are a woman- or shower headJ). God is “Father of lights and the giver of every good and perfect gift”, and these gifts are meant to point the recipient to the Giver, not the gift! In the next blog I would like to talk about how a Christian should view a homosexual, and then follow up with how do we preach and live the gospel with our homosexual neighbor or co-worker. Father Glorify Your Name in all the earth! Grant to us to be satisfied in You and You alone! Til we hang again- SC