It's very interesting that we as a society, who claim "freedom to speak as we wish," don't truly mean what we say. In fact, we have gotten so bad about this that when someone does not agree with us, we get our feelings hurt. Then as a result, we take sides and begin to fight with our words. We would rather claim tolerance than truly live it (so much easier to speak than to act).
I found myself contemplating on this topic as I was reading some dialogue on Facebook about homosexuality. I read phrases such as, and I paraphrase: 10% of the population is born gay, therefore God loves them for who they are; Who are we to judge how someone lives his/her private life?; and Gay people are good and don't force their lives on us so why should we force ours on them? And as I read the debate I began to realize one thing - no one "wins" this conversation if the standard for our views is purely human.
We can try to throw science in to prove our view, but for every theory for there is always one against. We can try to throw reason alone in to prove our point, but for every statement there is a converse, inverse, or contrapositive statement that may prove our logic false. Just think of some of these contradictory examples out there today: bisexuality (how can a person be born both heterosexual and homosexual?), or homosexual repentance (how can a person who is born gay repent of his/her lifestyle and become heterosexual?)
So how do we come to any conclusion on this debate, or any other moral debate for that matter? Well, speaking first hand from knowing a young man who was sexually abused by a homosexual when he was nine and ten, who has also forgiven the abuser, he struggled to understand his identity as he grew into a teenager. The struggle stemmed from the fact that society determines a persons value and identity by his/her "sexuality." So, is my friend homosexual because he unknowingly participated (had no idea what sex was)in homosexual behavior? That was a question he had to grapple with in his early teen years.
And the answer that God showed me is that our value is not determined in our sexuality - how beautiful or sexy we are - but in our being made in the image of Him. And this concept comes from the Scriptures - the Bible itself. God created us to be in control of our sexuality for procreation; not for it to control us for sensual pleasure. God created us to be self-disciplined; knowing our identity was in Him and not in ourselves. God created us to do what was right, but we chose to do what was wrong.
Now some may say that the Bible is not a standard to be used in this conversation. Then my question is: What do we use? Ourselves? Our feelings? Where do these get us? Back to the argument of who's right and who's wrong. Only God can be our standard for concluding this debate, and the Bible, created by God through man over many millennia, states what that standard truly is.
If we decide we want to throw the Bible out because we feel it to be invalid, then we must throw out Jesus as Savior as well. Without the standard of the Bible written as it is, we throw away any proof that Christ ever lived, died, and rose again. Our only prove of His existence comes from an early church who, inspired by God, wrote what they witnessed.
So the question is not whether homosexuality is sin or not. The real question being debated here is whether the Bible is the standard upon which sin is determined. Hmm? I'm going with the Bible. I've messed up too many times on my own.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
What's happening at LifeHouse Hedgesville
Wow! Here we are nearing the end of January, about 8 months away from the launch of God's new church. It's hard to believe that we're that close, yet still have so much to do.
First, I want to say farewell to Matt and Kristen Cassidy as God has called them to pursue a career in the military. Matt was one of the first people I told about God's calling to plant a church, and he was instrumental (no pun intended) in directing us to our home church, LifeHouse East. We hope and pray for God's blessings and safety to be upon them as they begin this new phase of their lives. We also pray that God lead another worship leader to LHCH as we draw nearer to our launch date.
Second, there's a lot of things happening behind the scenes. Obviously, there's this blog (lhch.blogspot.com) and an email address (lifehousechurchhedgesville@gmail.com). Just recently I have been working on a Facebook page to represent the church. I would love to use this social media to invite our friends and families to join and support us. This past Sunday we shared the vision of LHCH with LifeHouse East and made a call to the them to see who might come along with us on this journey. Fifteen committed followers of Jesus said they'd like to be part of our adventure - our cause - and we are very excited about this.
Third, with the window of time beginning to narrow, we've begun a calendar to show some very important dates and times in the life of LHCH. Beginning in February and concluding in May, we will hold monthly informational meetings to discuss the pathway of the church. Here we will also look at the roles Christ's servants will be responsible for in getting LHCH up and running. In May, we will also celebrate 17 students I tutor, along with their families, by throwing them a picnic with fun and games in honor of their hardwork throughout this school year. This event will be our first major event in reaching out to our community. In June, we will hold our first Preview Service to begin working out some of the kinks of the worship experience. This service will also let the team truly feel what the worship experience will be like. We will then begin inviting friends to our next Preview Service in July, and will continue to tweak the overall experience so that at launch we will be giving our best. We will continue to invite friends to our final two Preview Services in August, hoping that with each service the attraction builds for what we're doing. Finally, in September, the weekend after Labor Day, we will launch LHCH on a infamous day in history, 9/11. We're praying that God use this date to help people realize that the security and freedom they may not have in this world can be realized in Christ.
And so, there you have a glimpse of what's happening in the world of LHCH. I hope it excites you as it excites me. I'm chomping at the bit to see what God is going to do through us. Love you.
In Christ,
JD
First, I want to say farewell to Matt and Kristen Cassidy as God has called them to pursue a career in the military. Matt was one of the first people I told about God's calling to plant a church, and he was instrumental (no pun intended) in directing us to our home church, LifeHouse East. We hope and pray for God's blessings and safety to be upon them as they begin this new phase of their lives. We also pray that God lead another worship leader to LHCH as we draw nearer to our launch date.
Second, there's a lot of things happening behind the scenes. Obviously, there's this blog (lhch.blogspot.com) and an email address (lifehousechurchhedgesville@gmail.com). Just recently I have been working on a Facebook page to represent the church. I would love to use this social media to invite our friends and families to join and support us. This past Sunday we shared the vision of LHCH with LifeHouse East and made a call to the them to see who might come along with us on this journey. Fifteen committed followers of Jesus said they'd like to be part of our adventure - our cause - and we are very excited about this.
Third, with the window of time beginning to narrow, we've begun a calendar to show some very important dates and times in the life of LHCH. Beginning in February and concluding in May, we will hold monthly informational meetings to discuss the pathway of the church. Here we will also look at the roles Christ's servants will be responsible for in getting LHCH up and running. In May, we will also celebrate 17 students I tutor, along with their families, by throwing them a picnic with fun and games in honor of their hardwork throughout this school year. This event will be our first major event in reaching out to our community. In June, we will hold our first Preview Service to begin working out some of the kinks of the worship experience. This service will also let the team truly feel what the worship experience will be like. We will then begin inviting friends to our next Preview Service in July, and will continue to tweak the overall experience so that at launch we will be giving our best. We will continue to invite friends to our final two Preview Services in August, hoping that with each service the attraction builds for what we're doing. Finally, in September, the weekend after Labor Day, we will launch LHCH on a infamous day in history, 9/11. We're praying that God use this date to help people realize that the security and freedom they may not have in this world can be realized in Christ.
And so, there you have a glimpse of what's happening in the world of LHCH. I hope it excites you as it excites me. I'm chomping at the bit to see what God is going to do through us. Love you.
In Christ,
JD
Monday, January 10, 2011
Help! What am I doing wrong?
Have you ever had a time in life where you had in mind the outcome to the problem you were facing - a time where you saw the outcome completely different than what actually happened? What did you do? How did you handle the discrepancy? Get mad? Blame someone or something? Or, take it as part of life and move on? The reality for me is I've been there and I have felt all the emotions that I asked above.
Yet as time has gone on and I have gotten a little older (for me to know and you to find out), my theology has changed. Where once I thought God was a part of everything, both good (the blessings in life) and bad (the hardships as God's discipline), I have now come to realize that God is not sitting in Heaven doling out blessings and hardships. I understand now that just because someone is well-to-do, and favor seems to be on his side, does not mean God is blessing him.
I've heard it said too many times, "I must be in God's favor - living a Godly life - because I keep receiving more and more material and financial blessings." The mindset is that I've got to be doing things right since I keep receiving blessings - I'm wealthier, therefore I'm more spiritual. The inverse of that thought though is that if I am doing things wrong, God will not bless me, but rather punish me. In either case, God does not work in this way - though He can and has, often to remove and expose pride.
The reality is that material and financial blessings in no way make someone more godly and more spiritual than someone who has nothing. Jesus illustrates this point with a poor widow giving to the temple treasury. Luke 21: 1-4 reads: As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Who was more spiritual in the eyes of Jesus - the ones with financial resources and wealth or the one living in poverty? I think you can see my point that prosperity and poverty go hand in hand -meaning God is not concerned with either one, but rather in the person and his/her intent.
The real litmus test of finding God's favor is in the fruit of the Spirit that are to be displayed in your life in good and bad times. Galatians 5: 22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." You see, God's favor rests in your soul, your inner being, not in things, and no one or thing can ever take this favor away from you.
So the next time when hardship comes your way, don't think God is punishing you. Instead think, "God, help me get through this time." And if wealth does come your way, don't assume it's a spiritual blessing until you've checked your commitment level to God. Then, remember to thank Him and ask Him how He would have you use it. It's in these thoughts that God can be glorified. It's in these thoughts that you will find God's favor - His blessing - in your soul.
Yet as time has gone on and I have gotten a little older (for me to know and you to find out), my theology has changed. Where once I thought God was a part of everything, both good (the blessings in life) and bad (the hardships as God's discipline), I have now come to realize that God is not sitting in Heaven doling out blessings and hardships. I understand now that just because someone is well-to-do, and favor seems to be on his side, does not mean God is blessing him.
I've heard it said too many times, "I must be in God's favor - living a Godly life - because I keep receiving more and more material and financial blessings." The mindset is that I've got to be doing things right since I keep receiving blessings - I'm wealthier, therefore I'm more spiritual. The inverse of that thought though is that if I am doing things wrong, God will not bless me, but rather punish me. In either case, God does not work in this way - though He can and has, often to remove and expose pride.
The reality is that material and financial blessings in no way make someone more godly and more spiritual than someone who has nothing. Jesus illustrates this point with a poor widow giving to the temple treasury. Luke 21: 1-4 reads: As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Who was more spiritual in the eyes of Jesus - the ones with financial resources and wealth or the one living in poverty? I think you can see my point that prosperity and poverty go hand in hand -meaning God is not concerned with either one, but rather in the person and his/her intent.
The real litmus test of finding God's favor is in the fruit of the Spirit that are to be displayed in your life in good and bad times. Galatians 5: 22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." You see, God's favor rests in your soul, your inner being, not in things, and no one or thing can ever take this favor away from you.
So the next time when hardship comes your way, don't think God is punishing you. Instead think, "God, help me get through this time." And if wealth does come your way, don't assume it's a spiritual blessing until you've checked your commitment level to God. Then, remember to thank Him and ask Him how He would have you use it. It's in these thoughts that God can be glorified. It's in these thoughts that you will find God's favor - His blessing - in your soul.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)