Churches weigh gay support

[bluelake]

Last Sat. I was stunned to read an article written in our local newspaper. 
 Gloria Dei Lutheran church is inviting gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders with full participation in their confessions. This includes Holy Communion. This church is the ELCA. They have been leaning toward this for some years. They will hold a 'Love Rally' with Peace United Church of Christ located in Duluth, MN.

http://duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/news/local/13791357.htm

I'm not sure if this link is still there.
Is this going on in your area? Perhaps pastor Rogers can give us some advice concerning this hot issue. Lets pray.
 Sinners, of course go to church, sinners are called to repent. homosexuals are given a pass in this church.

God bless you,
bluelake

[nChrist]

Hello Bluelake,

YES, we have numerous articles like this in numerous areas of the forum. In all reality, some churches are turning into secular institutions and turning away from GOD and the Holy Bible. I even read a recent article about a so-called church voting about whether JESUS was and is GOD or not.

So, some churches might as well become bars and nightclubs and just be done with it. As we both know, what a specific church does or does not do does NOT indicate that GOD or the Holy Bible approves of what they did. However, the approval of GOD and the Holy Bible does not appear to be of any importance to some churches these days.

Some churches are embracing open abominations to GOD. My conclusion is simple: they are now working for the devil - not GOD. It's really just as simple as that.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Proverbs 2:7-8 NASB  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

[lightsavour]

Yeah I agree with BEP, even though I am from a smallish town in Canada, we still hear things like this growing up all over as well. And he's right, they are no longer (or never were) for God, but are outrightly for Satan. The other comment he made that they might as well become bars/clubs caught my attention too. In truth we would be benefitted by them doing this, and so I agree with him, because then its just clear-cut satanism. Right now it is definately satanism, but it is harder to preach that people are living abominations towards God, when nowadays these couples have children together (in different ways, changes in sexual preference, or adoptions.) It still has to be done, or at least God fearing Churches have to stand up for truth, but it is just alot harder to do then to preach about drinking/fornication/adultery.
It all really comes back to opening up the whole word of God and professing faith in its entire. That way the Church is guided by its members, and not the building, or the creed written on the wall. When one member sees hypocrisy they should be able to stand up against it without fear of being hassled. In these churches that accept abominations there would be absolutely no way to deal with other real issue, let alone the homosexuality just based on accepting the one wrong openly as right.

It is a sad day, but we can be thankful for much light being shined in our time to combat the evil shadows. Who knows, perhaps the homosexual movement is really an undercurrent of unbelievers really wanting us genuine believers to become stronger in the truth. I'm not deluding myself that they live abominations for our benefit, but it belies the truth to pretend like persecution only paints the end times. Persecution (even deceptive persecution like these gay churches) always means there is much light at the same time. We should not be consumed with trying to reach those who pretend they are already for us, when they are most definately not, but we should be consuming Gods food, and he will feed us with the opposite light of these places. Then, when our prayers are the sharpest we will see every evil step the world takes painting the love of God alive and well.

 If the world was just alot of sad individuals who did not gather in they're failure, then that would show that we are NOT doiing what we are here for. It is when evil gathers that we see how real this war is. Again, I am not saying they purposefully live for our benefit, but rather than God has taught us the tools of the devil, and so we should not only avoid his advances, but pray for those souls involved in his movements.

Hope this helps in what is only a volatile situation in our present and continuing day of grace. A help I would hope can reach some of the lost souls before it is too late, but that continues to be my prayer for this abomination age.
God bless
-lightsavour

[Mockingbird]

On a positive note, has anyone ever heard about Stephen Benett?  http://www.sbministries.org/

I heard him as a guest on a radio show once when Brokeback Mountain came out.  =-)  I think it is a great testimony to the fact gays can change.

A bit of a story about gay churches, when I first moved here I was scoping the churches in the neighborhood for one to go to... I was planning on going to the closest church to me, but they didn't have what time they met on a sign, so I looked to see if they have a website.  Glad I looked, because it was a churh founded and run by the gay and lesbian community.   :oThat would have been a bit awkward for me. =-)

We know that in order for a gay person to change, they first must come to know God's love, just as it takes for any of us to change, so I can see why a church would want to show love and acceptance toward the gay community.  As Paul says, "If I speak in the toungues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." Romans 13:1  However, i think too often people forget that love, while very important, needs to be in balance with truth, and also that there are times (such as in 1Corinthians 5) where we need to expel those among our fellowship who are unrepentant. 

Someone pointed out to me once, that the 18th chapter of Matthew speaks well to this very issue.  It speaks of forgiving the brother who sins against you not seven times, but seventy-seven times, but also of cutting off that which causes you to sin... 

[lightsavour]

Being gay is completely evil, and if you were to retain that title in any form against the word of God then you would have no right to be in a circle of accountable believers. The same goes for being addicted to a harmful drug that would stumble people, but the two are very different. Homosexuality is a spiritual revolution in itself, and it is angled/pointed from/power sourced by the devil. Being an addict is likewise a chain of the devil, but you dont necessarily have to be of a revolutionary heart against God. Often a drug addict can just be weak within theyre own need for mind stimulation period, whereas a homosexual is basically an atheist to the darkest degree. They not only dont believe in God, but they procreate darkness through they're bodies. It is completely unacceptable for a believer to be doing it, for a church to back the practice, or for a person to preach that we should accept the diversity of humans in a new way.

I know you weren't saying that we should accept the gay practice mockingbird, but I felt it necessary to clarify just how downright evil the whole thing is. These churches that accept gays openly are not only wrong, but they are circles of false prophets. And with all the true need us true believers would be able to acknowledge in theyre assemblies we should all be able to see just how diabolical the movement is. It daily twists the lives of its followers in a way that many will never give themselves a chance to come back from.

I agree that God can save anyone. But I simply see this issue to be more than just an issue, but a religion in itself, that is run by the worlds revolutionists. They are in the media fully, in politics, schools, now churches... and theyre purpose is to drive roadblock into the heart of Christians children who are still potentially sexually confused themselves. This doesn't mean God cannot turn the whole generation around, God can do anything, but in reality if God doesn't do that, then whats happening is the social framework of Gays/whoring to be the base drive of our whole culture.

And I agree wholeheartedly that love is the conqueror of all. We need to genuinely love the souls of all gays, and that is our only hope to not be tainted by this moral demise of our societies that grows worse every day.

God bless you all in your lives of love
lightsavour