Homosexuality

As time goes by, homosexuality (LBGTQ) has been a very critical controversial Christian issue. In my opinion, it is one subject that affects people mentally, physically, and spiritually. I understand that this subject is very sensitive, and probably the most controversial Christian issue prominent today , but I hope that this blog post can help you look at homosexuality in a different way, and in that thought process, you can draw up a new and concise conclusion about this issue.  In scriptures, homosexuality is brought up  four times in the old testament and three times in the new testament. However, I will only focus in on one scripture, which is the common verse people refer to about homosexuality. This passage is located in the old testament, In Levitus (20:13) it reads, "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

The three videos below will go in depth  about this scripture and many other verses concerning this matter; giving reasoning to why homosexuality is or  is not a sin.


The first video is called "Homosexuality is not a sin or an abomination." However, the video is from the deleted Scenes of the Documentary "We're all Angels" about Pop Duo Jason and De Marco. This video discusses the struggles many  gay Christians face, the misinterpretation of passages that bring up homosexuality and how these verse came to be seen as anti gay.

The next video is called "Is homosexuality a sin" and features Pastor Mark Driscoll who is a pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. In this video he discusses the beginning of creation and how God made man and women to be one. He doesn't isolate homosexuality, but puts that issue in line with all other sexual sin. He emphasis that he will never say that homosexuality is okay, but he also says that he will never say that homosexuality rises above other sins because all sin is equal. "The gay guy that comes and sits next to the couple who is dating and sleeping together is neither less or more righteous," Driscoll said.

 

 The last video is called "Homosexuality is a choice, not genetic" which featured on CBN and focuses on a women named Janet Boynes who suffered, but was delivered (saved) from homosexuality. Boynes lived a homosexual lifestyle for 14 years until an encounter in a grocery parking lot.

Unlike the last two video, this video, in my opinion, shows more of God's love and what he does with a heart that feels troubled. This video really shows transformation in a real way, not forced or condemned.

In Conclusion, in John (3:16-17) "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

There's one side, there's the other, than there's the truth.

 

 

Tattoo's Tattoo's Tattoo's.... what's wrong with it?

Tattoo's. You ask yourself, What' so bad about my tattoo's? Or what's bad about getting a tattoo? Its just freedom of expression? I'm really just expressing myself and I love art as well as being creative?

As I researched this subject I realized that it would be harder than I thought. This disputable matter , just goes on forever, and people are very sensitive about this issue. So as you read this please pay close attention and do further research to make sure I didn't miss anything. In this blog I wanted to start off a little different and give some brief background on the passages, which will be discussed in following videos below, that discuss tattoo's and the culture in that time.

In Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."  How much clearer can that be, right? However, this passage is referring to pagan religious rituals of the people living around the Israelites. God’s desire is to set his people apart from other cultures. The focus here is prohibiting worldly, heathen worship and witchcraft. God forbids his holy people to engage in idolatrous, pagan worship and sorcery which imitates the heathens. God was doing this to protect the Israelites, so they would not stray away from the one and only true God. In this way, we could ask is getting a tattoo a form of paganism today? However, before we answer that question it is very important to look at context because believe it or not verse 19:26 states,  "Do not eat meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or sorcery," and verse 19:27, "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." Well, certainly many Christians today eat non-kosher meats and get haircuts without participating in the forbidden worship of pagans. Back then these customs were associated with pagan rites and rituals, but today they are not.

But there is one more verse that people use to justify why tattoo's are a sin. In Corinthians  6:19 states, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. Now the context in this verse is examined differently from believers. This verse is talking about sexual sin,but can it also be talking about your body as a whole?

Now that we know a little bit about the Israelites history and Gods commands lets take a look at all sides of this issue. Like I mentioned I have posted four videos that examine tattoos within scriptures. However, within these videos, the pastors and youth ministers have also included some other verses that allow you to see if tattoo's are a sin or not, so make sure to carefully listen to what they saying.

Jeffery Bethke, famous You tuber for spoken word, skims through all the verses people use to justify why tattoos are a sin and uses the same interpretation I did, and many other use, in my paragraphs above to prove how they are taking the verses out of context. However, I would like to point out that when he brings up  1 Corinthians 6:19 he does not agree that the bible is talking about the outside appearance, but only sexual immorality. Basically, when you join another person, sexually, and you're not married your defaming, dishonoring, and is a form of graffiti to your body . "Its not an external issue," said Bethke. "But an internal one."

Now Curtis, a believer in Christ, began to research tattoos after he encountered many pastors and youth ministers,  he looked up too, getting tattoo's. Curtis was so shocked and decided to take a deeper look into the issue. Again, Curtis also brings up all the verses that justify why getting a tattoo is a sin, which again are out of context, but he too also points out very interesting verses within this video. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. "“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. Therefore, none of Paul's freedoms will be master over him. In the old testament the Israelites had to uphold to certain laws, but because Christ died on the cross, we now have freedoms.

However, and Curtis explains this very well, we should not let our freedoms gain control over us.  He also talks about another verse which is a passage I also brought up in my last blog post called "Exercise your freedom...???". In 1Corinthians 8:9-13 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall." Curtis explains that this is something he has found challenging because he does not want to cause his brother s in church to sin, but at the same time his reason for getting a tattoo is to glorify God. "Tattoo's are sinful if they worship something other than God. If I tattoo myself as a mark to remember anything other than God than ist sinful," said Curtis. "But if tattoos are pointed to God and are to glorify God then it is not sinful."
In another video "Why I desire to get a tattoos" he explains that tattoo's are a form of art and can be a form of worship to God.

But lets flip the script. David Johnson, has a website called Nothing but The Truth , and helps Christians see and respond to life situations, but from Gods point of view. In his latest video called, "What does the bible say about tattoos" he brings the scriptures into another light concerning the  tattoo issue. Same Scriptures, but different tone.

Again, in 1Corinthians 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." "This is not your body to do what you please, but to be a temple for God," said Johnson. "Your body is not a garage, not a shack and not a graffiti board." In Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."  Instead, Romans 12:1-2 states,  "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. "Keep your body holy, keep your body acceptable to God, and do not be conformed to the world," said Johnson.

Now that we have examined many areas of this issue lets ask ourselves some questions. What are my motives for wanting a tattoo? Am I seeking to glorify God or draw attention to myself? Will my tattoo be a source of contention for my loved ones? Will getting a tattoo cause me to disobey my parents? Will my tattoo cause someone who is weak in the faith to stumble?

 Mary Fairchild, a Christian blogger for About.com wrote an article, "What to Do When the Bible is Not Clear," and we discover that God has given us a means to judge our motives and weigh our decisions. In Romans 14:23 states, "...everything that does not come from faith is sin.."  So obviously, that's pretty clear.  "Instead of asking, "Is it okay for a Christian to get a tattoo," said Fairchild. "Perhaps a better question might be, 'Is it okay for me to get a tattoo?' Since tattooing is such a controversial issue today, I think it's important to examine your heart and your motives before you make the decision."

Here is one last video that really complements Mary Fairfield discernment about tattoo's.

There's 1 side, there's the other, and then there's the TRUTH.

Exercise Your Freedom

Alcohol has been a controversial issue for many years regarding the Christian faith. Questions like: Can Christians drink or is it a sin to drink beer, wine and alcohol? What about an occasional glass of wine for dinner? Or a cool beer on a hot summery day? As I looked through the scriptures there were many verses about alcohol, but none that strictly outlawed alcohol consumption. But lets take a look at all sides of the spectrum...

Jack Wellman, a christian Author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas raises money for the homeless and prison ministry through many of this books. Jack is presently attending seminary at Southern California Seminary completing a masters in religious studies. He also writes for a small website called "What Christians Want to Know."

In a recent blog post "Can Christians drink alcohol" he gives many facts about the consumption of Alcohol and whether or not its a sin. Wellman examines many verses in the bible that God and many of the prophets bring up about Alcohol consumption such as:

The Bible is clear that drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  First Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists will inherit the kingdom of God.” 

The problem of drinking alcohol is not the alcohol itself because Paul tells Timothy to “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Tim 5:23).  Surely if alcohol was a sin, Paul would not have recommended it to Timothy who was a pastor. There is some medical evidence that a little wine is helpful, not only to the stomach, but for the body in general; however, anything in excess is nothing but trouble. 

Also, Isaiah addresses the effects of drunkenness by writing, “But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, [priests were not allowed to drink at all - Lev 10:9] They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Is 28:7).  This reminds Wellman about drunk drivers who frequently kill innocent victims on the highway, kill themselves on deserted roads and even die from an alcohol overdose. 

Wellman continues to say that through these verses we can see that strong drink or wine in excessive amounts is sin and leads to poor decisions and sometimes to immorality, but this does not mean that God forbids wine and strong drink altogether.  During the Feast of Tabernacles, God told Israel that they could, “exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.  Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice” (Duet 14:24-26).  This does not mean that they can get drunk but alcohol in moderation is permissible. 

But lets check out this video "Can Christians Drink and Smoke"

According to Mario A. Russo, a christian existentialist, drinking and smoking is okay. The problem is not with alcohol and tobacco itself, but the problem comes when our sinful addictive nature turn them into idols and we rely on alcohol to get us through the day, to make us feel better, to drown our sorrow, numb our senses and emotions, so we don’t feel pain anymore. Same as when you get addictive to tobacco and ruin your health. You are physically killing yourself through the use of cigarettes. The heart is the problem when dealing with addiction and habits. It’s a heart issue that needs to be addressed. 

“God is the creator of all things and created man to make things beneficial and pleasurable. We have freedom and liberty in Christ and can exercise dominion over the whole earth,” Russo said. It’s our right to take things as tobacco and turn them into cigars or cigarettes and take coffee beans and turn them into coffee and take chocolate and turn them into candy bars.”

However, John Muncy, in full time evangelistic ministry for over 35 years  is the founder and president of Jesus Cares Ministries since 1978, thinks very differently about Alcohol. 

In the video above, Muncy attempts to call alcohol for what it is; it destroys. Muncy explains the achievements of Alexander the Great and is considered one of the most remarkable men in history. He became Pupil of Aristotle at the age of 14 and conquered many kings by the time he was 33, but was destroyed by consumption of Alcohol. 

"Alcohol has left a trail of shame, death and destruction in its past and its future promises to continue to do the same," Muncy said. "Its a lying sin in our society and all the promises from TV ads, music videos, movies try to glamorous alcohol, but that is not the real world because it leaves trails of brokenness and maned lives."

So we see three sides of this issue. Yes, Christians can drink, to Christians should only drink a little bit, to no Christians are not allowed to drink at all. But who's right? Still we ask can Christians drink, is it a sin to drink alcohol?

John Boos, a bible teacher, who graduated from California State University of Long Beach  in 2010 with an B.S in electronics engineering technology, gives a very worthy response about drinking alcohol.

Boose explains that people speak about the fact that in the Bible there are many places that speak about wine in both the Old and New Testaments, in both a good light and bad light.  But then many will mention that Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to take some wine for his stomach (1Titus 5:23), which is what Wellman explains in his blog post.  Also, there is Jesus who made wine at Cana, which is what Muncy explains in his video.  But what about the example that we set as believers, "not Christians" because today that does not mean much, but as those who are struggling to follow Jesus.

One night, about 6 years ago, Boos was at home and was considering having a drink, but suddenly he remembered a promise that he gave to his students, as a new Bible teacher.  

"I told them that they could call me anytime, day or night," Boos said. 

 Then,  he realized that if they call me and I had something to drink he would not be able to drive to where they were, in a desperate situation (and I am not encouraging any Bible teacher to drive to meet any student anywhere).  So, he decided not to drink that night.

Before John Boos was a Bible teacher, he began to consider how others might see him. 

"What if I was at a restaurant with my family and one of my Bible students saw me having a drink," Boos said. "Then, that person might say to themselves: If John does so, then it must be okay. But its not like I drink that much.”

He then considered this next passage:

Co 8:9-13:

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Soon after Boos made the decision to stop drinking, he found out that his father, on a Saturday afternoon, was having a beer.  He walked down the street to speak with one of the neighbors and found out that this man had been an Alcoholic, but has been dry for about 5 years.  After all those experiences he decided to give up drinking all together.

 "I will not even taste a sip of wine or beer or any other fermented drink on any occasion," Boos said.

"I have found that I can personally please God in this struggle, and so by doing this I will err on the side of devotion to God."

So, for Gods kingdom's sake Boos made a personal decision to stop drinking so that others may have a chance to do what is right before God.  

There's one side, there's the other, than there's the truth. 

Preach!

On Tuesday September 26, 2013 the daily 49ers, a California State University of Long Beach news source, wrote an article "Speaker provokes more than 50 incident reports from students." Apparently, a speaker known as Paul Mitchell an independent evangelist preacher, was carrying signs that read “Homo sex is a God damned sin” and “Abortion is a God damned sin” which drew crowds to the free speech lawn and resulted in 50 incident reports submitted to Student Life and Development Center.

A crowd of students gathered around Mitchell and argued about his views, which included that “those who don’t believe in Christianity are idiots.”

“I saw students yelling and screaming at him,” said Rodrigo Rubi, a freshman pre-biology major.
Julie Potter from KBeach radio thought that Mitchell was enjoying the confrontation and dared her to get him off campus. She said he was personally attacking students, being extremely sexist toward female students and targeting homosexuals. The crowd clapped in response to two male students who kissed in front of Mitchell.

However, many other students engaged with Mitchell and not everyone complained or felt offended.
“He’s been relatively respectful from what I’ve seen,” senior film major Travis Savacal-Martin said. “I think he has a right to be here, just like anyone else does.”

During this incident Mitchell called his preaching "tough love."

However, this is not the first time CSULB has encountered a "Tough Love" God preaching Message.
An evangelist organization called Brother Jed has come to speak many times about God's judgment  repentance and sin.

The video above is the last time Brother Jed has been at CSULB, but will return in February of next year.

Brother's Jed mission statement: "Our purpose is to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the college and university students of America and the world. The skeptics on the campuses are constantly condemning God and justifying their unbelief. Our goal is to defend and glorify God and his government so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before the Judge of mankind. Our desire is to see men and women reconciled to God through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world".

Brother Jed and Mitchell's preaching style is one that many students have a problem accepting. It is seen as being discriminating, hateful and sexist. Now that I've shared one side, lets take a look at another style of preaching the gospel.

Jeffery Bethke, who evangelizes on colleges campuses, You Tube Channel and personal website; preaches the gospel in a very different way than Brother Jed. In this video below, Bethke enlightens us on the creator of the earth and how humans were made in the image of God. That we are not filthy and worthless, but are made to be great. Jeffery style of preaching is considered to be a message that is full of equality, justice and love.

 

 

Jeffery Bethke mission statement, in my opinion, is described in one of his blog post called "Why God loves ungodly people(including you)." "When you trust in Jesus, God then looks at you the same way He looks at Jesus. If you are in Jesus He looks at you (even when you fall and mess up!) and says “pure, spotless, blameless, perfect, holy, my son, my daughter, you’re free!” That’s what changes a heart. That’s what stirs us to worship. That’s what changes someone’s life, so please rest in this verse," Bethke said.

"You don’t have to keep trying. You don’t have to hide that you’re ungodly. You just have to trust in the one who exchanged Himself for you at the cross. He took your shame. He took your sin. He took your filth so that God could be both just and justifier of those who put their trust in Jesus."

Also, another preacher, British Preacher name C.H. Spurgeon, was the pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel Street in London for 38 years and has preached to around 10,000,000 people in his life. "By the mouth of His servant Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He takes to Himself the title of' 'Him that justifies the ungodly.' He makes  just those who are unjust, forgives those who deserve to be punished, and favors those who deserve no favor," Purgeon said. "You thought, did you not, that salvation was for the good? That God’s grace was for the pure and holy who are free from sin? It has fallen into your mind that, if you were excellent, then God would reward you; and you have thought that because you are not worthy, therefore there could be no way of your enjoying His favor."

So you have brother Jed and independent evangelist who emphasizes the “God who Judges”, which is commonly disliked by many, but  you also have Jeffery Bethke and Spurgeon who emphasize the "love of God", which is what everyone really likes to hear even if they are not believers.

But who’s right or are they both right? Or Is it right to give a message that only shows the "God who judges" or  the "God who loves"?  Maybe its right to say that Brother Jed didn't talk about the love of God and maybe its right to say that Jeffery didn't talk about the importance of the repentance of sins and to turn away from them. Again these video clips, articles, and blogs I showed are just samples of what these men do and what they have done. However, we should take in account that there is so much in the bible, that how could one cover everything in one message. Right? But maybe we can say that God is the God who loves, but also the God who judges? Some may think that this is a conflict, but I did some research and found a columnist, Billy Graham, who writes for the Seattlepi and he explains it perfectly in a article called, "God loves us, but also judges us."

Graham says, "Have you ever asked yourself what the world would be like if God were only a God of love, who never judged evil or tried to stop it? If He were only a God of love, evil men could carry out their plans without fear, because they would never have to worry that God would judge them or try to stop them. Hitler and Stalin would be just as welcome in heaven as Mother Teresa"

 "Or have you ever asked yourself what the world would be like if God were only a God of judgment, who punished us every time we did wrong? If God were like that, none of us would ever have a chance, for we sin every day. We would have no hope of a happy life right now, or of heaven, either. But God is not like that! The Bible says, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in love" (Psalm 145:8).

To conclude: John 15:5-8, reads, I 'am the vine, you are the branches. If man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into a lake of fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

There’s 1 side, there’s the other, and then there’s the TRUTH!