‘Gay Christian’ Billboard Campaign Rebuked as ‘Unchristian,’ Promoting ‘Generic Love’ By Katherine Weber

Activists leading a “Gay Christian? Yes!” campaign with a billboard in Grand Rapids, Mich., are hoping to promote the idea that active homosexuals can “walk freely in the love of Christ.” However, the campaign has been strongly rebuked as promoting a “generic love” that is not in line with scripture and core Christian teachings.

The billboard, which has sat on northbound U.S. 131 near Burton Street since April 3, has a black background contrasted with its white lettering, which reads “Gay Christian? Yes!” accompanied by the campaign’s website, gaychristianyes.org.

According to its website’s mission statement, the purpose of the campaign is to “proclaim the good news that God’s love in Christ extends to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We challenge the Christian community to join the journey to fully embrace gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians.”

The large majority of Christians, however, believe that homosexuality is a sin and therefore should not be normalized by society or celebrated in such a way within the Church. Steve Demers, senior pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Allendale Township has said the campaign promotes a “generic love” which is not in line with core Christian teachings.

According to Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, homosexuality is a sin and “normalizing sin cannot lead to human happiness.”

“We cannot join the larger culture in normalizing homosexuality and restructuring society to match this new morality,” Mohler has previously told The Christian Post.

The “Gay Christian? Yes!” campaign, headed by Theresa McClellan, has been spearheaded by gay activist group Gays in Faith Together (GIFT).

According to GIFT’s website, the purpose of the “Gay Christian? Yes!” campaign is two-fold. The first part of the campaign is to push the argument that one can be gay and Christian, while the second part is to “affirm the presence of LGBT people in the Christian community.”

“We applaud all the ways that the Christian community is already welcoming and affirming LGBT people, and we invite — we challenge — the Christian community to continue on the journey toward fully embracing LGBT Christians,” the GIFT website adds.

However, Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, has argued that all humans are born with sin, but just because one has sin, does not mean that sin should be accepted by the Church. Daly affirms that sins can be relinquished if one turns to God and asks for repentance; ergo, one must relinquish their homosexuality if they choose to be Christian.

“Each of us can be set free – from homosexuality, or heterosexual sex outside of marriage, or pornography, or greed, or gossip, or any other human shortcoming – to be the men and women God intended us to be,” Daly wrote in his blog, as previously reported by The Christian Post.

Despite criticism of the campaign, McClellan plans to engage the city of Grand Rapids in a discussion regarding Christianity and homosexuality in the upcoming months.

She told local publication Michigan Live that GIFT plans to host community discussions regarding the acceptance of gays in worship by West Michigan congregations.

“We are just opening so many doors, and that’s what’s so cool, especially during this time of year, when people who are gay Christians feel like they can’t step into their churches,” McClellan told The Blaze the week leading up to Easter.

However, Steve Demers, senior pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Allendale Township, has told The Blaze that the message communicated by the “Gay Christian? Yes!” campaign offers a generic love which is not in line with core Christian teachings.

“We’re about forgiveness. And we want to offer people God’s forgiveness. We want to offer them God’s love,” the pastor told The Blaze. “We just believe that there is a deception that homosexuality is not sin and God calls us to help people and to call them to repentance. There is a generic love being offered that does not hold us accountable to each other and the scripture doesn’t really know that kind of Christianity.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/gay-christian-billboard-campaign-rebuked-as-unchristian-promoting-generic-love-73406/

TD Jakes: Scripture Condemns Homosexuality; Not My Job to Give Opinions By Nicola Menzie

Speaking with Oprah Winfrey during her new series, “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas told the media mogul he thinks homosexual acts are condemned in the Scriptures and it is not his job as a pastor to give personal opinions.

Jakes, whose church boasts about 30,000 members, appeared on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on April 8 to discuss his ministry, marriage and how he deals with critics. Also brought up in the conversation, which at one point included the pastor’s wife Serita Jakes, were accusations some people have not been welcomed to Jakes’ megachurch.

“Would you say that everybody is embraced in your church?” Winfrey asked. “Cause you know you have been accused of saying that gay people would not be welcome.”

“That’s not true at all,” Jakes began. “The perception in our society today is that if you don’t say you’re for same-sex marriage or if you say homosexuality is a sin that you’re homophobic and you’re against gay people. And that’s not true.”

The pastor continued, “I’m not called to give my opinion. I’m called as a pastor to give the scriptural position on it,” the pastor added. “Doesn’t mean that I have to agree with you to love you. I don’t dislike anybody. I love everybody.”

Winfrey went on to ask if Jakes thinks being gay is a sin.

“I think that sex between two people of the same sex is condemned in the Scriptures, and as long as it is condemned in the Scriptures, I don’t get to say what I think. I get to say what the Bible says,” Jakes said.

“I’m not particularly political. I’m not particularly denominational. I’m not worried about any of that,” he added. “I’m not anti-gay, I’m not anti-anything. I don’t want to even be known by what I’m against.”

Critics immediately contradicted Jakes’ comments by branding the pastor’s statements as “homophobic” and “anti-gay,” with some in the liberal media even calling the megachurch pastor hypocritical in light of an incident involving one of his son’s several years ago.

New York-based Gawker.com portrayed Winfrey as asking Jakes if he “likes gay people,” while calling the minister a bigot.

“[...] she lets Jakes spout anti-gay sentiment while swearing off homophobia,” Gawker’s Rich Juzwiak writes in his article, titled “Anti-Gay Pastor Doesn’t Want to Be Known For Being Anti-Gay.”

Juzwiak claims that by “disagreeing” with gay people, one is actually “disagreeing with something that is fundamental to their existence: how they love.” He goes on to insinuate that holding a biblical view of homosexuality “values an institution over human beings who are going to love each other and be together anyway, like they have been since the dawn of time.”

Dismissively calling Jakes’ “love” for homosexuals worthless, Juzwiak points readers to a 2009 report on Jermaine Jakes’ arrest in a “gay sex sting” in a local park. Jakes’ stepson was accused of exposing himself to two undercover police officers.

Gay publication, Dallasvoice.com, took its criticism of Jakes stance on Scripture and homosexuality even further, stating that the minister “is condemning the countless LGBTQ youth who are among his flock at the Potter’s House, perhaps pushing some closer to suicide” and shaming those possibly infected with HIV/AIDS through a homosexual encounter.

In his interview on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” Jakes told Winfrey he wants to be known for what he is for, saying, “I’m for people bettering themselves, no matter who they are and where they are, doing all they can to be all they can be.”

The Potter’s House, a nondenominational church with dozens of outreach ministries, was founded in 1996 and “brings together the down-and-out, the homeless and released offender to sit beside the up-and-coming, the celebrity and the community leader,” according to a description on its website.

SEE VIDEO OF T.D. JAKES BEING INTERVIEWED BY OPRAH WINFREY

READ: CHRISTIANITY IS NOT ABOUT GOING FROM GAY TO STRAIGHT; IT’S ABOUT TURNING FROM SIN TO JESUS

http://www.christianpost.com/news/td-jakes-scripture-condemns-homosexuality-not-my-job-to-give-opinions-73330/

Vitamins for Spiritual Health (5)

“Are you in health, my brother?” 2Sa 20:9 NKJV

Never withhold because times are hard. The Bible teaches that those who set their mind on “getting” always lose, whereas those who set their mind on “giving” always win. The story’s told of a dog walking across a bridge with a bone in his mouth. When he looked down into the river and saw his reflection, he thought it was another dog with a bigger bone. So he jumped in to get it—and drowned. Paul dedicates two entire chapters in the Bible to the subject of money. Perhaps that’s a good answer to those who say, “All the church ever talks about is money.” Since money is congealed sweat, coined time, coined talent, negotiable you, it’s one way in which you can give yourself to God. It’s not the only way, but it’s a very important way. So Paul writes: “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others…Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous” (2Co 9:6-11 NLT). Unless you practice generosity there’s no point asking God for more money. He doesn’t pour His blessing into pots, but into pipes; not into reservoirs, but into rivers that let it flow out. Getting the idea?

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/vitamins-for-spiritual-health-5/

He shall not eat of the holy things till he be clean. Lev 22:4

The holy things referred to here are the offerings made by Israel to Jehovah, a part of which was presented to God in fire, and the rest partaken of by the priests and their families. None, however, might feed on them whilst ceremonially unclean. This suggests some useful precautious for ourselves, if we would fully enjoy the privileges and blessings attending the worship of the holy God.

We must be clean before we can enjoy the private reading of the Word of God. – We would wash our hands, soiled with the dust and grime of toil, before opening an exquisitely printed copy of the Scriptures; how much more should we seek cleansing at the hands of Christ before we feed on the holy things of Scripture!

We must be clean before entering the House of God. – It is a holy habit for each intended worshipper to be quiet before leaving the house on the Lord’s day; or to use carefully the moment of the bent head at the commencement of the public service, in order that the soul may be made clean from any contracted stain, and resolve henceforth to abstain from all evil.

We must be clean before partaking of the Lord’s Supper. – There we feed upon the bread of God; and as we wash our hands before we sit at the table of a friend, so should our hearts be cleansed ere we partake of the emblems of the body and blood of Christ. Holiness becomes God’s house. Those that ascend the hill of the Lord must have clean hands and a pure heart. The reason why religious exercises do not profit you, may lie in your failure to comply with this demand. “He shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean.”

http://devotionals.ochristian.com/f-b-meyer-devotional.shtml

Grisham’s Testament

Grisham’s Testament.

The Help We Really Need by Mark D. Roberts

READ Psalm 121:1-8

I look up to the mountains—      does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD,      who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 121:1-2

Growing up in the church, I always heard the opening verses of Psalm 121 as an invitation to gaze upon the mountains for a reminder of God’s presence. I was encouraged by the King James Version rendering of verse 1: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” I figured that the hills, being high, served as pointers to heaven.

That’s not how Psalm 121:1 would have been heard by Jews who were making their way up to Jerusalem, however. The mountains, for them, represented danger: treacherous trails, hidden bandits, and dangerous weather. When they lifted their eyes to the hills, the pilgrims would have wondered: “Where is my help? Who will help me get through the mountains safely?”

We find the answer to the question in the following verses. Help is not to be found from the mountains. Rather, it comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth, including the mountains (121:2). The Lord will not let you stumble on rocky paths (121:3). He will protect you from the elements (121:6). He will “keep you from all harm” and “watch over you” (121:7-8).

You and I may not look upon literal mountains with fear in our hearts. But we do see other kinds of dangers ahead and worry about our wellbeing. Some face the “mountains” of economic insecurity and job loss. Others gaze upon the “hills” of marital conflict or rebellious teenagers. Still others worry about physical risks and violence. The list of “mountains” goes on and on.

When we see dangers ahead, when we fret about our future, Psalm 121 offers solid reassurance. God is there to help us. He will guide us, protect us, guard us, and keep us safe. We are not promised a life without struggle and pain. But the Lord promises to be with us always, and this is all the help we need.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When you feel afraid or overwhelmed, what helps you to remember God’s presence? What challenges do you face right now that feel like scary mountains? Have you offered these to the Lord? How is God making his presence known to you in the midst of these “hills”?

PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for the reassurance of Psalm 121. Indeed, my help doesn’t come from mountains, or human strength, or hard work, or careful planning. My help comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth.

Thank you, Lord, for keeping me from stumbling as I walk along the path of life. Thank you for protecting and guiding me. Thank you for always being there, even when I cannot sense your presence.

By your Spirit, may I trust you more than I have. As challenges come, the “mountains” of my life, may I have confidence that you are there and that you are my help. Always.

All praise be to you, O God, my help! Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/help-we-really-need-0?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHighCallingDailyReflections+%28Daily+Reflection+%26+Prayer%29

Investment Advice

“I want to help you invest wisely in your future.” That’s what the financial advisor said as he began his talk about investing in 401(k)s and retirement funds. He wanted his listeners to continue putting money in the stock market during all the ups and downs of the economy because historically a good return will eventually occur.

God wants us to invest wisely in our spiritual future as well. Through the ups and downs of life’s circumstances we should continually invest in a “spiritual account”: our character. The apostle Peter tells us to be diligent about character development (2 Peter 1:5-11). After we trust in Christ for salvation, we are to invest these qualities into our character: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

The future returns on our investment in character will be godliness (vv.5-7), fruitfulness in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (v.8), assurance of our calling (v.9), and victory over sin (v.10).

Investing money in retirement funds can be profitable, but investing in our spiritual lives offers the best kind of return for our future!

Let us grow up into Christ, Claiming His life and its powers— The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place That our conquering Lord has made ours. —Flint

Now is the time to invest in eternity.

http://odb.org/2012/04/21/investment-advice/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Back From The Dead · Max Lucado

Back From The Dead · Max Lucado.

Tozer Devotional-Spiritual Balance

Spiritual Balance

It is a thin and rather smooth coin of common knowledge that the human race has lost its symmetry and tends to be lopsided in almost everything it is and does. Religious philosophers have recognized this asymmetry and have sought to correct it by preaching in one form or another the doctrine of the “golden mean.” Confucius taught the “middle way“; Buddha would have his followers avoid both asceticism and bodily ease; Aristotle believed that the virtuous life is the one perfectly balanced between excess and defect. Christianity, being in full accord with all the facts of existence, takes into account this moral imbalance in human life, and the remedy it offers is not a new philosophy but a new life. The ideal to which the Christian aspires is not to walk in the perfect way but to be transformed by the renewing of his mind and conformed to the likeness of Christ. The regenerate man often has a more difficult time of it than the unregenerate, for he is not one man but two. He feels within him a power that tends toward holiness and God, while at the same time he is still a child of Adam‘s flesh and a son of the red clay. This moral dualism is to him a source of distress and struggle wholly unknown to the once-born man. Of course the classic critique upon this is Paul’s testimony in the seventh chapter of his Roman epistle.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=526

The Daily Spurgeon

The Daily Spurgeon.