I don’t know, I guess everyone has different experiences. I didn’t grow up in a church, but when I was in high school and doing things I shouldn’t, it was the evangelical “reach out” type that brought me food, clothes, and invited me in. So I am thankful for people that are bold enough to speak and reach out. Church members who stay confined to their 4 walls as some liberals expect, they can’t help me because they can’t reach me.
The church is too concerned about the rapture and doing so takes their emphasis away from what needs helped. I guess there's no use then trying to fix problems if you think you're going to be leaving soon.
I guess the only difference between previous generations who spoke of the rapture vs today, is that today we have the technology for it to happen.
"Christianity" has harmed many people because it's adherents are fallen and imperfect beings, who, no matter hard they try to practice fidelity, will always fall short of the model; Jesus Himself. On the other hand, true love and care from Christians have also helped untold millions over the years, including said Christians.
I think the idea comes from the left. I doubt there are many people living in sin that care to enter a church parking lot, much less inside. I don’t know, I enjoy going to a church that preaches sin, forgiveness, outreach, and helping others. Highly doubt you see many in the LBGTQ community wanting to go to a church. I guess my sin vs theirs is the fact that I don’t enjoy sin or the consequences thereof, and I’m certainly not proud of it. The organizations like what you mentioned ARE proud of their sin and want others to join in it.
I do know of some LGBT people who have sought out church and acknowledge God, and some who are Christians. Often their struggle is "can I continue in this lifestyle and still be a Christian, will the church accept me, etc?" I think the biggest source of confusion here is that we stopped calling sin what it is. Sex outside of marriage became so common and people were having so much fun doing it that people stopped calling it sin. If we don't think of it as sin then why struggle against it at all; why not just go with what feels right? Same thing with LGBT. People wanted to remove the association with sin because they wanted to engage rather than fight it. Add in "pride" of being different from the majority and make it only about emotion and "how I'm born" and we end up where we are now. But if God exists and gives us the moral code, we don't get to make the rules. It's not about we want or how we feel. When we make it about that we are acting as if we are God, which brings us back to pride.
I absolutely agree with you on that!
Many don't consider it a sin, or they have found what they believe to be justification for living that lifestyle. My sister is gay and goes to a church that affirms that is ok and completely acceptable to God. You'd never guess that the preacher is also a woman. The Bible is very clear on both of those items. We may not like it or want to accept it, and we may find pressure to discard the Bible's teachings as arcane, but that is just us serving our human nature and desires rather than God's desire. And it fits with the whole adapted "Love your neighbor" or Live and let live" ideas that get frequently tossed around to deflect the SIN part of the discussion away from right v wrong onto something more socially appealing: Love aka Self Gratification aka I Am My Own God And You Should Be OK With It.
Jesus also taught repentance as you mentioned go and sin no more, He didn't just love without admonishing. Choices have consequences even while He loves all unconditionally. He also taught about something else more than anyone in the Bible because it's very real, but it's not a feel good topic and that's hell. Hell is real and without Jesus it is one's destination, it's why He died for all but the choice is individual. My prayer is for anyone who doesn't know Him would do so before it's eternally too late, it truly breaks my heart to see lost individuals.
Let me understand you ..... So, you are acknowledging that LGBT is a sin? ..... Just making sure I understand your post. As for the second bolded part ..... God made woman as a helper to the man. They are not equal.
Practicing LGBT tendencies and behaviors is sin, as it is against the nature of how God made us and separates us from Him. Just as sex outside of marriage and infidelity do as well. Anything that causes separation from God or violates the image of God in another person, or in us, is sin. I was pointing out that I do not struggle with sins related to LGBT issues but I have plenty others that I struggle with, such as pride, lust, greed, and wanting to do things my own way.
Excellent post. I imagine almost none of us have any real understanding of this. I imagine it is impossible for us to set aside our selfishness and personal wants enough to really see our wives in a Godly way, and our kids as well. Imagine if both wives and husbands could truly live out the sacrifices and commitment that a Christian marriage calls for. Think about what that would truly look like, and how much that would affect parenting as well. What a different world it would be.
Why would you reference only the KJV? Are you an FIB?
No, I just believe that the KJV is the true word of God. I don't put much stock in any other translations. Always go with the Holy Bible KJV.
Amen x 1000. A man is charged to be the spiritual leader of his household. To love his wife the way Christ loved the Church. Just let that really sink in.
The KJV is a translation like other translations of the Bible (or manuscripts in the original languages) into the English language before and after it. But, I don’t know that you can say that it is the only “true” word of God and nothing else is (if that is what you’re saying). I would be uncomfortable saying that the group of translators commissioned during the reign of King James in the early 1600s had some kind of special guidance and that we can’t trust anyone else in a later time to ever do it again. I will say that I take issue with some things some translations do. There are strengths and weaknesses of every translation. The primary issue with the KJV now is how the English language has changed and continues changing, such that it’s getting inaccessible to the modern reader, who may stumble over archaic older English words and word forms that we don’t use anymore or at least in that way. I’ve personally been using the ESV (English Standard Version) in recent years. This is where everyone has to study and discern. If the KJV is where you’re comfortable, then that’s where you are, as long as you are reading and understanding your Bible.
For many many years, the Holy Bible (KJV) has been taught to the most un-educated folks, and they could understand it just fine. If you read the book of The Revelation, it clearly states in chapter 22.....