What can I do to honor the King?  What measure of glory may I bring to light out of my love for Jesus?  Lord, this world seeks to complicate something that appears so simple.  Allow me to bring clarity and simplicity to finding our way into demonstrating Your Will.  In the book of James, the writer refers to a believer’s action being demonstration of belief that has grown into that measure beyond knowledge that we refer to as faith.  If I believe that Jesus is the Sovereign King of the Universe who gave Himself to cleanse me of the indelible stain of sin then that “faith”, as the writer claims, will compel me to righteous action.  To the point where my faith causes me want to surrender and serve my righteous King and those “works” are referential evidence of my belief.

How should the Holy Spirit be showing up in my life?  Lord I know that my dependence is not upon those works I do or have done to “earn” me a seat in heaven.  Those works that I do are demonstrations of my love and gratitude for Your love and glory.  But Your Word also says that I will be baptized by Spirit and as such, being indwelt by that Holy Spirit I will begin to produce fruits beyond my own capacity as evidence of Your Presence in my life.  That indwelling will create unavoidable changes in my life that will show up as clear testimony to this world that Your Word and Your Spirit are truth in salvation.  I will be unable to avoid becoming; kinder, gentler, more self controlled, patient, faithful and loving.  Those changes will lead to greater efficacy for the Kingdom and as Your Spirit works through my life crops growing toward harvest will cover those fields into which I have planted the Seed of Your Word.  Those around me should be able to recognize this notable change as it acts as witness to the Presence of Spirit in my life.  No Spirit, no salvation, no Spirit, no fruit.

The word “Try” should begin to lose its emphasis and authority in my life as that word inherently refers to efforts taken or performed in my own authority, strength and resolve.  I will no longer have to attempt to be more righteous, try to be more devoted, work to be less harsh or foolish, those changes will come about through the work of the Holy Spirit directly proportionate to my surrender to the molding hand of Almighty God.  It will become ever clearer that my eyes, my heart and my treasure should remain completely fixed upon God’s Will for my life.  I should become increasingly less susceptible to losing myself in the storms, lusts and frivolities of this world as I am transformed into the Heavenly citizen I am meant to become.  I should be less likely to run from the disciplining hand of God, knowing fully that he is cleansing me, sanctifying and purifying me for His purposes and so that I may be ready to spend eternity with a Righteous God.  I should lose my desire to argue against, resist and defy the Word and Hand of God in my life as I become conscious of His Presence in My person, life and spirit.  There must be evidence of the presence of God in my life and that evidence by nature should be indisputable by even those members serving wickedness.

Praise You Lord Heavenly Father for Your Care, Kindness and including me in Your Plan.  I am humbled that You have even given me a moment’s thought, and awestricken that the truth is so much greater than that.  Glory Hallelujah, God is my King.  I speak the name of Jesus and walk through the only door to God.

If it is kept in the back of your mind it kind of feels like you’re keeping it from everyone doesn’t it?  If you don’t talk about it and perhaps sequester yourself from your friends and family are you able to convince yourself that no one really knows what is going in secrecy?  Are you so good at obfuscation that you can hide it all away and go to work acting like nothing has changed, everything is just fine?  How do you deal with God?  You know that He knows every thing.  How do you handle that fact, how do you keep it all neat and tidy, carefully concealed from the eyes of Almighty God?  You can’t, that is why you end up creating distance between you and the Lord in your halfhearted attempts.  What’s worse is that He knew “ALL” the information before time even began having seen every word, sin, movement and secret.  So now I know what it feels like to be Adam and Eve hiding from God, in our nakedness, ashamed in the Garden, frightened of the discipline we know soon will be coming.

I am tired of running from God.  I am tired of bringing discipline upon myself when all that really needed to happen was that I had to bring my sin under the covering and control of the Holy Spirit.  You see, I do not have to sin, but I still do and each time I mourn the loss of intimacy with the Father.  Each time I shed tears for the distance created between us.  And each time I pray for the strength and discernment to not make the same foolish mistake depriving me of closeness to God.

Lord, I should love you more than any thing else yet I still in my weakest moments put other gods on pedestals and turn my face and faith from Your Majesty.  I am sorry for my spiritual adultery.  Teach me to balance the things of work, family and faith in a way that is consistent with Your Plan for my Life.  Let me not miss a single opportunity to recognize Your Grace and Glory, giving you credit for everything that is Righteous and Good.  I see great men and women of the Bible, but like me each one of them had their Achilles heal causing them moments if not great periods of God’s disciplinary action.  Why is that always the case.  Couldn’t someone be obedient?  Couldn’t for example it be me who decided to do what God wanted of me at every juncture, fixing my eyes upon His Glory and dutifully and diligently serving His intention?  There was one, the God Man, leaving us an example, commanding us to be like Him.  Lord teach me the path to being like Jesus.  Give me faith to believe that something that grand is possible.

There are those who still want to be righteous.  Even now we see them awaking.  Awakened by the sudden revelation of evil taking over, they are appalled and have begun to ask conscious questions about the Almighty.  Waking out of coma they first inquire where they are and how they have arrived there.  Their past a fog with little dancing wraiths frolicking on for hours on end.  They want to believe that A God so real exists for the sole purpose of Glory but they are so afraid to be looked upon by the world, as fools.  Yes, I tell them the world will revile you, as they must, hating the Lord of Lords for His Righteousness and denying His authority to judge this World’s Sin.  You know that is what it is all about, their hatred of Jesus, that is?  It is the fact that He had the audacity to claim that He alone will judge this Universe after providing redemption for those who would freely accept it.  They cannot imagine a God with enough power to create them and then determine that the sum total of that creation’s worth is up to His determination.  They define God against His Commandments so He will return the same as judgment.  You see Jesus will judge this world whether or not I believe that He has the authority to do so.  It is just that some of us do not choose to serve futility.

Praise Him for His Righteousness and Truth, because He is right you know.  We all can see the fact that what Jesus described is the best way for a man to live this life and set up eternity for himself in the next.  I love people.  I feel for them in their attempts to challenge, deny, run from and develop a better explanation than the truth.  They do not want to admit that they were the son or daughter of an angry alcoholic, that they aren’t pretty, rich and popular, that dreams do grow on trees like gumdrops, but that just ain’t reality.  You may wish that you were in charge, but thank God that you aren’t.  God is in charge, He created it, He rules it and He decides who is deserving of an extra helping of blessings or another life spent in eternity with Him in Glory.  He has shown us the way to follow Him, but we must choose to walk the path.

By what authority you ask do I have permission to speak into the life of anyone else?  Am I not expressly forbidden to judge and based upon this commandment must I then refrain from commenting or analyzing through rebuke any action of another person?   Is referencing the promises, warnings, testimonies, examples and commands in the Bible when asked about observed behavior, judging?  If I speak the Word of God and it convicts an individual of their sin or inaction have I done them a disservice or service?  Who am I?  I am who serves I AM.

Must I be timid or afraid to provide commentary regarding the world’s wickedness or the immoral actions of those who are walking in conflict to the Word?  Wow, I never thought that I could speak from a position of authority about anybody’s actions.  I always saw their lives through my own poor performance and felt I had no room to judge.  Then I got saved and realized that I had been freed of slavery to sin and although I now could clearly see the disobedience and life conflicts in those around me, I still felt it was not my place to say anything.  Now I have been service for many years and realize that my testimony, my love for Jesus and the Bible are the only tools I have to help direct others to the cross where they might meet Jesus.  Does speaking the Word of God to others sometimes ruffle their feathers?  Absolutely.  Is it my responsibility to tell the truth always and risk being unpopular in order that some might see the truth of sin and be subsequently saved?  Absolutely.  Does this responsibility mean that I have carte blanche to say whatever I feel like saying to anyone who needs to hear it, without concern for tone, timing or truth.  Absolutely Not.

I speak the truth in faith and love when I feel prompted by the indwelling Spirit of a Holy God.  Do I sometimes make mistakes and forget to ask Him what He would have me say at the appropriate moment?  Yes, but not as often as in my immature history.  I truly have been affected by the presence of Spirit to the point where I really love people and do not want to trip them up or hurt their feelings.  After all if I am an ambassador of Christ then I must be ever mindful not to chase away the walking wounded.  He wishes for them to come to Him in repentance to find salvation, life and abundance.  Therefore it hangs on my mind that I must allow the Spirit to speak and be particularly cautious about quoting the Bible instead of using my own interpretations of scriptural direction.  If I stick to the promptings of Spirit and adhere to speaking the Word of God to those who ask, then I will not experience the potentially damaging miscalculations of my own understanding.  I might have the right intentions but because my words are not the Living Word then I may miss the mark and actually cause folks to stumble where I intended encouragement.

Christians increasingly are finding it harder to remain diligent to speaking the Word in Truth and Love.  Constrained by the limitations of political correctness, the illusion that we have to refrain from rebuke and steer away from scripture smells of the machinations of fallen angels.  God remains on the throne and the ever changing moral constructs of man have no effect upon an everlasting God.  It is utter falsehood that we have somehow become enlightened as a species and now find ourselves in new ground surpassing God’s Wisdom continues to provide shelter for the enemy and deceive those who would be saved.  Thanks and praise be to God that His Word is everlasting and is sharp enough to separate truth from lie.  Those who would do the work of God to their greatest potential can never go astray speaking and adhering to quoting scripture and verse.  God’s understanding and ways are above mine and I would rather make a mistake quoting scripture where He will use all things to good for His Good Pleasure then be shy and give advice that makes someone stumble or turn from the Cross.

Who am I?  I am who serves I AM.

Do I have any misunderstandings about Christ?  I mean about who He is, what He did and is going to do or about what He commands for my purpose and direction.  Is my concept of Jesus based upon scriptural research and conference with the Holy Spirit or is my understanding of His persona something I received from a preacher, teacher, scholar or media resource?  Do I know for sure that I understand that Jesus is God?  That’s right I said God, because that is why they killed Him you know.  If you are not absolutely certain that you believe what I’ve just said then I recommend wholeheartedly you prove me wrong through scriptural evidence and research.  Don’t ask your girlfriend, priest, pastor or biblical novel writer, go to the source, the Holy infallible Word of Almighty God Himself.  I know for a fact that you will find out that Jesus is God and that the entire Bible is about the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the World.  I don’t wish to hear arguments about why you think that I am wrong I want to see scriptural proof of my misguided understanding.

What have I done to deserve my anointing as prince or priest?  Is there evidence even of my indwelling by the Holy Spirit of God.  Not a record of my good deeds because I am certain that my flesh and the devil will be happy to assist you in that foolish endeavor by regaling your ears of my conquests, surrender and sacrifice.  I am looking for the evidence required of my salvation by scripture.  I am referring to the fruits of the Spirit of God who is supposedly indwelling each believer having been sealed for eternity.  You know; goodness, kindness, patience, humility, peace, long-suffering, maturity, faithfulness.  I know that there are nine but I always have trouble recalling one or two.  What evidence do you see in my life of those fruits?  I will boldly say if you do not see that evidence then I am not saved.  For there has been no indwelling for me by the Holy Spirit of God so I have not been sealed for eternity and baptized by Spirit.  If that indication of salvation is not present then I have called myself Christian but do not have a relationship with Christ.  Having or proclaiming a label without truth of testimony is akin to calling myself Russian because I drink Vodka and dance ballet.  The indwelling of Spirit and relationship with God through Christ is not a label but authentic salvation.

What should I do with my own profanity, shame, falsehood and unrepentant sin?  My greatest desire to is to present myself a sacrifice to God, holy, righteous, obedient and true.  I have tried and failed so many times that it should have caused me to quit long ago upon realization of the impossibility.  However, my salvation does not hang in the balance of my goodness, righteousness or success.  Those are worldly pronouncements of judgment or social classifications of my stature in society.  Thank the Mighty Lord that my failures on Earth have nothing to do with my salvation.

I have tried my hardest and still failed.  What does that say about being good enough for a righteous God?  It says that it is not in my capability.  He wants me Holy, it’s just that it is not something that I can achieve, He alone may sanctify me.  I do not wish to sin, in fact I try with all my might not to, but I still do.  I understand the struggle to which Paul referred.  My job is to turn from my sin, repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness and sin no more just as He told the adulterous woman.  I have to ask, do you think she was able to never sin again?  I would like to think so, but looking at the evidence in my own sinfulness and those of my friends, who are really good people I must add, I would have to say that she probably really tried but fell short again and again like the rest of us.  Lord how long must I remain this shameful creature, prone to sin, even in my best moments, I fail you?

Father my sin burns within my heart as I know that it alone inhibits my intimate relationship with You.  Wash me clean Lord Jesus so that I may remain in fellowship with You.  I know that You are Holy, Righteous and True and that You cannot tolerate sin.  Please allow me to put away my sin permanently and show you clear evidence of Your indwelling through the fruits of my life.  Give me the grace to become that man to which some may incline themselves as they walk toward Your everlasting Life and Light.  Let me learn to love myself in a forgiving manner so that I may extend the same graceful love to others.  Mold me, shape me, make me into the man You would have me be for Your intentions.  We both know that I cannot arrive there on my own volition, intention, action or energy.  I pray to fully and voluntarily surrender myself to Your sanctifying Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name I commend my life to Your hand for whichever purpose suits Your Will.

For those who would know what is occurring in this country, choices must be made surrounding the direction for America.  On which side of the fence will you be standing because this is what is happening and there is no longer anywhere to hide from reality.  These are not the simple times of by-gone-days but the hectic and insecure days of a Christian country that has turned its face away from God and subsequently lost the hand of His Blessing.  Who can deny that we have received this as discipline or just reward for our action/in-action as children of a Holy God.  There is a price for our choices and that price now confronts us in the form of lost security and peace.  May God once again show mercy and grace to this nation because we humble ourselves, turn from our sin and cry out to Him in fervent, humble and honest prayer.  Lord Jesus  we know that you will set things right, come quick Beloved Lord.  http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/2nd-top-military-man-calls-for-millions-to-march-on-d-c/

Into the darkness the penny drops, controlled by surface and air tension fighting gravity in a dive of precision and gymnastic excellence.  Past twenty meters I lose sight, listening intently for some whisper, whistle or tinny bounce telling me that the abyss has measure.  I have lost my battle with darkness for it is endless, consuming, breathing, morphing and conforming to every crevice, crack and mooring, even in vacuum, it swallows the imagination.  The silky-black permanence perfectly correlates to my swelling fear.  As I delve into the possibilities of the night I feel my hackles rise and my resolve diminished.  Oh, praise that there is a God and that He can control the ebony maw of shadow’s lust for without light the night would win this fight.  I bask in warmth and rest of light’s cleansing fingers, washed clean of the calamitous dark.  That blood the price of sin redeemed in its exchange for life-eternal.

This thing is cracked and yet I am soothed by Words of Prophets, Priest and Kings, who felt they penned the Mighty Influences God had commanded of them.  Onto the sheets, and rolls, documents, books, tomes, videos and waves they spoke the Truth of God, handed to their hearts by the Spirit who hovered above the waves as God created life.  No man could stand so eternal, knowing outside time the things that were, are and shall come to pass.  Magicians and charlatans crave omniscience, yet there is only ONE TRUE God and His name is Father, Son and Spirit, knowing, seeing and promising beyond constraint of time and creation.  Into His Word I find my self cascading, being polished by the folding of Living Water about my soul and spirit, removing from me bacteria, fungus and granite edges.  Then I am volunteer to the crucible, my metal brought to melting and beyond only to have my dross removed by the master smith.  Cooled and heated repeatedly I find my thoughts and life somehow free of my once ingrained, polluting poisons.  This Word, this sword, this guide beyond the capacity of man’s creation is in itself a proof of Loving God.

My melancholy screams into the pit to which my coin was tossed, telling of my fear-filled nightmare and depressive dismay.  These are the voices of my quickening, the sickening of my sin and its involuntary expulsion from the center to my soul.  It’s sycophantic root ripped from siphoning connection to my core, the victory won and the foul intrusion extracted.  I am free to be the man which God saw in His imagination before He laid finger or voice to the world.  My hope lay in preparation to serve a Holy King, being worthy through His command of sanctification, His Works within my soul and spirit, His Word of surgery in my heart and mind.  This new year is an illusion of the world made to fool into thinking we are slaves to the rise and fall of season, paying homage to the changing tide, moon or traveling sun.  But these are simple mechanisms laid in motion by the thought of God to serve as reflection of His Glory, His Time, His Path and Plan.  The seasons do not control me only the Hand and Will of God, for I am His Work not the byproduct of humanity or nature.  Unlike many I do not wish to be or become like God, I only wish to serve Him to my fullest, knowing perfect fulfillment then expiring to serve His purpose at another outing.  For I am man and He Alone Is God.  Praise His name through Christ the Outreached Arm of His Love.

Does a general current of disquiet disturb you each morning?  Is there something amiss, a feeling that things are somehow out of kilter, that lines aren’t matching up?  As if the phase relationship in the fabric of the universe is two millimeters out of alignment, leaving time and the properties of science unreliable?  It’s not something that you could bring up at the dinner table without risking askance glances questioning your sanity, but knowing that everyone is feeling the same thing even though they cannot put words to their unrest.  Could it be that we know the season has arrived ushering in the Great Day of our Lord?  He said that no man knows the day or the hour but He said that we would know the season.

I feel the unrest as if the flowers have been told this would be their last blossom or the trees have been ordered to bring forth fruit in winter.  It is as if the wind were loosed to blow without controls, the waves to thrash each shore and the tides to come and go without consideration of time.  We wait, a border town, impatiently tapping out the hours before the assault of enemy siege cannons against our walls.  Each man losing the war between peace and dismay, washing away the worry with rich foods and wine.  Those facing eternity separated from God, attempting to savor the last sweet drizzle of finality.  Living without abandon, totally compromised by the need for sensory stimulation.  Fulfilling the last hoorah, smoke, taste, taboo or treasure.

This is not a world gone awry, but rather the changing of the guard from Heaven.  These warnings are not that all will end, but that it will be reborn anew, once again restored to reason, season and simplicity.  These tidings may foretell a time of catastrophic transformation while the dross is removed from earth’s mettle, but promise a purer future, one governed by the King Himself.  The Judgement comes.  It is not the fearful doubt accompanying survival’s probability, but the restoration of God’s intention without illusion, pain or prevarication.  We face the restitution of hope as normalcy in a land where pessimism ruled for millennia.  Peace will come to man, but yes there can be no remission of sin without shed blood, either belief in the blood shed by Christ for humanity or the forfeit by the corporal punishments within the legions of wickedness.  Jesus will have His day, to set the dimension back to precision in seamless operation for coming eternities.  Yes the signs are here for the coming season of change.  Will we heed them and be ready as the Lord commands or perhaps join others in the furor of tribulation?

See and become discerning or turn away and be forced to consciousness by wrath.  The choice continues to be ours for the time being.  The Lord be praised in all His awesomeness and Glory.  Hallelujah, the Lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world for all who will believe and are set free.  Those who await the return of the Bridegroom for His bride be blessed in a peace beyond this world.  Those who await the Lion of Judah, I pray you turn away from your sin to escape His coming wrath upon unrighteousness.  Those headed for the Lake of Fire, we feel pity for you now but there will come a day when we weep no more tears and forget your foolish mockery forever.

Masks, hoods, plastic expressions and false friends, are counted among the prices of the sin in this world.  Betrayal, unfulfilled vows, forgotten love and generally being taken for granted continue to be some of the most painful felt episodes designed to drive each believer to the Lord for healing.  Where does pain take you?  Perhaps into isolation, seeking solace in some addictive respite, or maybe just maybe it brings you to the foot of His Great Throne where your tears and internal ills may be relieved and replaced with peace.  I am suffering a lot of those episodes all at once this day and ask that you take these feelings from my heart and replace them with love, peace, joy and concern for my fellow man.  Thank you Father for guiding my spiritual maturity.  I am never alone and my spirit is hidden in Christ with God beyond any true threat.

These assaults and reminders are meant to stall, paralyze or condemn me to self reflection and focus.  I dispel them and seek the knowledge of Jesus Christ so that I may truly see through the illusion perpetrated against mankind.  Lord let no veil of pain, idolatry or self-service blind me to the great commission for Your Glory.  As many of the false friends who venture in to and out of my life, I have real brothers and sisters in Christ who wish to go together through this life and next.  It is upon their filling of the Holy Spirit to which I must align my heart preparing for eternity while living out God’s Plan for our sanctification in this life.  Thank you Lord for pain and truth, they are the greatest motivators to learning and teach me the clear definition of love.  Jesus is Almighty God having come in the flesh to set us free from sin and death.  Praise You Lord, and though I may not ever fully comprehend what I do know of You I adore.

We have now entered the era where taking a stance is going to cost you socially.  We have an administration who targets conservative enemies by using the IRS, various spy agencies, locally militarized police forces and drones which isolate, identify and eradicate potential threats to their power continuance.  Previously we could just move to an isolated, rural area and expect to have a relatively private and peaceful life, that rural place only exists in antiquity.  You have two choices; stand out or blend in, which one appeals to you?

Since there has been relatively no price for either stating your position on a host of contentious issues, many Christians have been happy to befriend the world during the day and play church on the weekend.  Would someone please look up what “friendship with the world” gets you in the Bible.  Many were just happy to ignore these influences, stating tolerant mantras of “each to his own” or “don’t ask don’t tell”.  Now we are entrenched in a time when unrighteous agendas have muscled their way into social acceptance, people are being forced to take a position effectively condoning these issues or risking personal loss by standing in opposition.  And just as the Bible passage from Romans 1 depicts we have entered a time when people have been turned over to their own decadent thinking and now must convert everyone around them to that thinking in order to further stave off the truth.

Christians just want to run and hide from inevitably having to speak the Word of God in public places regarding his wrath against unrighteousness.  Unfortunately there rapidly is coming a time when just being Christian will put you on the list as a potential threat.  Sounds kind of like prewar Germany to me.  Wow, did you ever think the day would come when you will be given the opportunity to publicly stand up for or deny Jesus?  Guess what it’s not coming, it’s here.

I stand with Jesus.  I expect as He said that this will bring me hate as they hate the one I serve.  For those Christians who believe that this work is better left to someone else that speaking out is “not under my job description”, I ask you to review the Book of Esther 4.  Mordecai was forced to persuade Esther to do the task for which God had elevated her to queen.  Mordecai’s words were inescapable, perhaps they will engender the same reaction in your heart.  “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”  We know that God had men put these specific stories in the Bible to act as guide for further believers when confronted by similar times.  This passage in Esther I believe calls to all of us as heirs to the Kingdom, that we have been elevated to that position for “such a time as this.”  Perhaps I play a bit of Mordecai’s role for some Christians in calling them to speak out and fulfill their purpose for the Kingdom.  What is God commanding you to do?

I have the unique position of being both a prince and a priest and I will utilize that authority and prayerful position to its fullest capacity in the furtherance of God’s plan.  I am not overwhelmed by the circumstances, as a Christian I am not bound by the circumstances but by possibility.  All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me.  Yes, a time has arrived when it appears that God’s enemies are mustering to oppose Him.  I will not fear even standing in their shadow, for God is with me.  Fear is for those who believe that this life is the sum total of their existence.  Our true life is bound to eternity through the Holy Spirit of God.  We need fear no evil, for He has overcome this world and holds the keys to death and Hades.  We were sent here to prepare ourselves and lay the bricks upon which Jesus will walk in reign.  Just as Solomon stated all else is folly.  I was created for God’s Glory and to the end I commit this life.  In Jesus name, I pray come soon Lord to this broken world.

I pray that all of us take stock of our sins, repent of them asking God forgiveness and being saved through belief in the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of our risen Lord Christ Jesus the King

GOD’S WORD from multiple versions regarding repentance as a requirement for forgiveness. LUKE 17:3

[New International Version
So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.

New Living Translation
So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.

English Standard Version
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

New American Standard Bible
“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

King James Bible
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.]

Further scripture quotes on repentance

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  Luke 24:7

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  Luke 5:32

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  2 Chronicles 7:10

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God,  Hebrews 6:1

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2Peter 3:9

As with many issues in this life, choosing the right path may require denying the misunderstanding of our own minds to embrace what God calls righteous.  We find ourselves in a monumental struggle in our nation that threatens to divide citizens conflicting camps.

Among social issues there is none which threatens to be more divisive than the homosexual, gay or lesbian lifestyle.  Reasons vary from the challenges to personal beliefs, to how it affects our children to is there a line which may be drawn beyond which sexual choice is unacceptable, or does acquiescence to this issue result in a set of continually moving goal posts(the quest for the unbridled liberty of ethical relativism).  Sexual sin is unique in that most sins are external to the body, but in this sin the sinner commits the act of sin unto themselves committing ones own body to the sin act.  This issue threatens to inflame incendiary positions on either end of the spectrum, potentially launching battles that will not resolve at the mere exchange of hostile words.  Just as the issue of abortion, alternate sexual lifestyles will divide us as a nation because their is no common ground on which to construct understanding.  People are either in favor of gay lifestyle choices and abortion or they are not.  Albeit, there are those that say some abortions in certain circumstances are justified which may be perceived as a middle of the road stance.

Remember please, that God considers fence sitting as having made a choice against his law so again we are faced with there being “no middle ground”.  You either are for God or against Him, which requires that Christians have only one position on these vital issues.

This world of political correctness call us to remain in a gray area where everyone is tolerant regarding the choices of each man, but this issue is one for which there is no gray area.  I have struggled with this issue out of need to love all of God’s children but, as God does hating every sin.  The struggle is that we as men, in our limited thinking cannot seem to understand that these ideas are mutually exclusive.  I can both love the sinner and hate the sin, but if you are like me this was not an easy concept to master.  I have many friends who have either chosen the homosexual lifestyle or believe that this is how they were designed.  My friendship and love for them will not waver.  However, as a teacher, preacher and ambassador for God I am also responsible for rightly divining the Word of God on a host of issues which convict me, my friends and the world of our sin.  Homosexuality is one of those issues that requires we adhere to God’s position on the matter which immediately puts in conflict with many in society.  Although I wish to be gentle in my explanation I cannot apologize for siding with the God who made me.

For that is why the Lord sent the ten commandments and His Word through the Prophets, so we could see our sin and be convicted of its deviance from God’s intention and subsequent need for the salvation provided by Christ Jesus.  That conviction was designed to produce a desire to either repent and be saved or to turn away from God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness, thus dividing the population into two camps.  That has been God’s plan since the beginning of time that there only be one choice and that each person be judged based upon there individual “free will” decision based upon that choice.

Many of us have chosen to turn away from extra marital sex, or money, alcohol/drugs, violence, hate, unforgiveness and idol worship in order to accept the Lord’s offered forgiveness and redemption.  That is why sin has a grip on mankind because it fulfills some sensory or felt need and thus requires a rational decision to forgo those pleasured effects in order to accept God’s forgiveness.  By its nature this issue requires deep thought, we must first understand from what we are being freed by God’s offered forgiveness.  You guessed right, if you said, from the grip and stain of sin which has become each man’s personal prison and impediment to a relationship with God.  To choose God’s offer of salvation and eternal life we must turn away from “whatever” sin to which we are personally betrothed and be born again a new creature in the sight of God through belief in Christ Jesus.  God is Holy and cannot be near sin, so if we will not repent and be washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ then we cannot be in fellowship with a Holy God.

As you see being a Christian I have only one choice to make on this issue.  I will continue to love those who practice homosexual lifestyles, but God views what they are doing as sin.  So, I must as well in hopes that by making that sin clear they choose to repent and be redeemed to right relationship with God through Christ.  God also views condoning these life style choices as sin for which He has destroyed entire nations because of their complicit behavior.  Sodom and Gomorrah, were not destroyed because they practiced homosexuality, it was because the entire nations condoned that behavior in direct defiance of God.

I cannot and will not challenge God on this or any other issue that He has labeled sin, to do so brings the judgment for that defiance upon myself and my family.  I pray that the Lord allows us to come to some national resolution regarding this issue and that we collectively turn away from our allegiance to sin, but I also suspect that just as our treatment of Nation of Israel, this issue will be one of those for which this nation is judged by God.

I do not judge those who choose to live a homosexual lifestyle, but neither may I condone that behavior.  You are free to make the choice for your life, just as I have been free to make my own.  Disagreeing with a particular lifestyle does not mean that I hate the person practicing that lifestyle, that argument is false by its nature.  I do not hate drug dealers, prostitutes, child molesters, adulterers, thieves, murderers, bullies, idol worshipers or greedy men but I do however hate their sin because it is an offense to God.  If you take time to read the Bible and see God’s stance on these issues then perhaps you would understand why I truly have no other rational choice than to stand with God in declaring homosexuality a sin.

Let us not be found complicit when God looks upon our works within the church, which is the bride of Christ.  Let us tell the truth in faith and love and leave the outcome to God.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Many Christians claim that there must be leniency on this issue because they do not know what God’s words has to say regarding homosexuality.  Ignorance is never ample excuse for violating man’s law, why then would we believe it amenable when in opposition to the Word of God.  People often speak as experts about Christianity knowing nothing of what the Word says, please do not be misinformed on your own faith.  Learn what God’s Word says about this world before you decide to establish your opinion on grievous matters of law and heart.  A man cannot serve two masters.

Romans 1:18-32

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,^[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,^[b] unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NLT)

1 Timothy 1:8-10
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine … (ESV)

Jude 7
And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment. (NIV)

My sins have been bound into a yoke, by his hands they were woven together.  They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength.  He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.  Lamentations 1:14

When does it become necessary for the Lord to hand me over to those I cannot withstand?  Why would the Lord find it necessary to sap my strength and bind my sins into a yoke about my neck?  Why does the Lord look at sins as individual strands to be bound together into a tool of weighty control of my actions?  The message of Israel’s past in the Old Testament should be closely studied and understood by every Christian.

Israel has a special covenant with God, that both honors and blesses that nation but requires that they adhere and fulfill their part of that agreement.  Throughout Israel’s supernatural past they have repeatedly turned their back on that obligation through agreement and have subsequently forced the Lord to discipline them by utilizing their enemies to force them back to righteousness and promise.   Their story is chronicled in the Bible so that all shall see the price of disobedience to God, especially where vows and covenants closely define His expectations.  We as Christians should never believe that making those same mistakes will somehow bring us to prosperity.  In fact we should wonder ourselves if we would face the same discipline as children whom God loves.

The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago.  He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes.  Lamentations 2:17

We have allowed our “would be emperor” to proclaim globally that we are not a Christian nation.  We supported his egregious behavior by voting him back into office and then subsequently complaining about the behaviors we have condoned by election.  We have remained quiet, however critical, on the sidelines because we secretly wished the liberal embrace of personal freedom would authorize our own idol pursuits.  We have turned our hearts, minds and strength to personal gods of money, prestige, power, luxury and comfort and we wonder why our enemies are gaining strength and threatening our “once impeachable gates”.  Our fortunes ebb, our government treats us as subjects instead of equals and our liberties have slowly been given to feed the consuming power of the nation state.  It is all traceable to our negligent treatment of Biblical history and the consequences of violating God’s new covenant with Christians.  We are those who call ourselves by His name, as it is written in 2Chronicles 7:14.  We are responsible for humbling ourselves, turning from our sin and crying out to God for healing and reinstatement to blessing, yet we wait for others to fulfill this duty reserved for Christians alone.

What then will become of us; slavery to pagan nations, in servitude to the immorality and greed for which we sold our birthright or perhaps scattered to other nations for our gross disobedience to God?  I see that our inaction has now become disagreeable and Christians are beginning to speak out against the usurpation of government and the ills of unholy lifestyles, but will we do what is truly necessary to fight such evil?  The only method to rid ourselves of the effects of God’s discipline for our national sin is to personally repent and turn our faces back to God in faith, prayer and action.  No outcry against the actions of those who are not committed to God will lessen God’s reaction to our disobedience.  We alone are responsible as Kings, priest, ambassadors and intercessory prayer warriors.

Holy Father forgive me for my sins against You.  Allow me to come back to a position of stability, blessing and grace.  Have mercy on this nation for our violations, turn us from our national sins.  Heal this land by healing the hearts of its people by leading them to grace.  Christ Jesus, you died for all.  It is for all that I pray.  Let the healing begin with me this day.  In Your glorious name I pray, Christ Jesus the King.