Gay Rights and the Church

The title of this article is actually a contradiction in terms. The "Christian" church has become so watered down and weak that the majority of "Christians" remain as babes their entire life, only being capable of eating "milk", not the true "meat" of God's word. If you are a true Christian, then you most assuredly read the Bible and commune daily with God. Therefore, you must be versed in the scripture, and therefore, you are aware that the Bible considers Homosexuality a sin. I did not write the Bible, it is the word of God, but I do believe wholeheartedly in the Bible. Too many "Christians" have become pick and choose believers that only follow the scriptures they agree with. In a word, this is WRONG. They worship as fools worship; not my words, it is in the Bible. Saying this, people that are living the homosexual lifestyle should be welcomed into church so that they might hear the truth, but they can not be allowed to lead or influence the church in any way as long as they do not repent of their sins. This goes for all people, not just homosexuals. We all fall short of the glory of God, but as Christians, we must aspire daily to be more like Christ. Our world has become so concerned with nickles and noses that God has become an afterthought at most churches. Church is to be God centered, not man centered, but most pastors worry more about what their congregation believes than what God has said. These practices have basically tied the hands of God, and then people wonder why the church is weak and anemic. It is a sad commentary, but it is true, read the Bible for yourself, and not just that part you like, read it all. So many churches preach only the feel good portions of the Bible, but that is a charade, and they will never come to a full understanding of God, or the purpose he has for their lives.
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Heaven for non-Christians?

As with many issues, compassion and humanism have a way of clouding this issue. However, the answer, although unpopular in today's culture, is black and white, no shades of gray. Let me first state that I know many caring, compassionate people that will whole heartedly disagree with what I am about to write, and that is OK, that is what makes Helium great, it is a place to express opinions. A Christian family member of mine has been struggling with this exact question for some time, and she expressed her theory to me on the matter. She has theorized that we will all be judged on merit, and that devout Jews, Muslims, etc will have a chance to enter Heaven upon their demise. The only problem with this theory is that she is a human, she is not God, and in reality, only God's opinion matters. Recently, a well know religious figure, Joel Osteen, was asked this same question by Larry King on national television. His answer surprised me, and in many ways it troubled me about his resolve. What was his answer to this difficult question? He simply did not give an answer at all. I would have much rather him answered on way or the other, at least that would have shown some backbone. In a world where far too many churches have become more interested with attendance that truth, his lack of an answer weakened the church as a whole. So, what is the correct answer to this question? As with all questions involving God, we must turn to the Word of God to get the only important opinion, God's own opinion. There are many passages that deal with this issue, but for the sake of time, we can look at one passage and get the answer we are looking for.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
From this passage, it is clear that to enter Heaven, you must come to Christ. There is no wiggle room on this issue, for Jesus did not say you can be born again, he said you MUST be born again. As I stated, this issue is black and white, and I know that I am correct in my analysis because what I have written lines up with the word of God; and any one person and God make a majority.
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Is God a Republican or a Democrat?

In case anyone had not noticed, the Bible makes no reference to the Republican or Democratic parties. The answer to whether God wants you to be a Democrat or a Republican can be summed up by one verse in the book of Joshua. While standing outside of Jericho, Joshua had a visitation from what can best be described as Jesus in the Old Testament. In the fifth chapter, verses 13 and 14 read as follows:
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant.
In this passage, Joshua asks Christ the same question many are asking today. The Republicans will claim God is on their side, and some Democrats will claim God is on their side, but the answer is NAY. The real question is not which party God affiliates himself with, because as it is later stated, God is no respect of faces (he does not value one above another), but what party affiliates itself with God. Unfortunately, neither party can claim that they support God fully, and for this reason, it comes down to individuals, not parties. There are many aspects of the Political process that leave God out all together. The slander, mud slinging, back door dealings, and corruption that has become common in the political realm leave one dazed. This is simply more evidence that each candidate should be looked at on his or her merits, and personal position on each issue, not the letter listed beside their name. In many respects, George Washington was wise beyond his days when he suggested that there be no political parties, just individual candidates. This is how God views politics, he looks into the heart of the individual, not their party. However, can it be said that during any one point in history one party is closer to the path of God? Certainly God was not in favor of slavery, and in the same respect, he does not favor Gay Marriage or Abortion, so there is some merit to this point. All in all, I would have to say that God is not in favor of either party, and as I stated earlier, the question is, which party is in favor of God. From the looks of things, maybe God will abstain this time around
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How We Pray - A little something different since it is Christmas

The question of how to pray is very important to creating a strong relationship with God. There are many myths about prayer that leave a great portion of today’s Christians with much less power than God intends for us to have. A strong relationship with anyone requires good communication, and the same can be said for our walk with God. One common myth about prayer is that praying is about asking God for what we desire. One scripture commonly used to back this idea up is found in the seventh chapter of Matthew, where Jesus, speaking to the multitude, stated that if you “ask, it shall be given to you.” So, it is that simple, just tell God what you want, and he will send it to you. That is not exactly what Jesus was saying, but many take this scripture out of context, and then they wonder why the new car they asked for has not arrived. If the scriptures surrounding these words from Jesus are analyzed, the true message becomes clear. In the eleventh verse, we can see that Jesus clarifies his statement by telling the multitude that the “Father, which is in heaven, (will) give good things to them that ask of him.” What are good things? When the entire message to the multitude is read, it becomes clear that good things are those things which can be used to glorify God, and to strengthen his kingdom. God is more than willing to provide for his people when they ask, but in return, we should work for the Father to bring him the glory. Asking for material wealth to glorify man is a selfish prayer, and that is not what God is looking for. Ok, so how are we supposed to pray? One good way to be successful in all aspects of life is to look at others who are successful, and learn from them. If you are poor, do not look for answers from other poor people, look to the successful, and learn from them. If you are depressed, do not ask other depressed people how to live happily, talk to happy people for guidance. It seems simple, and in effect it is, but too many people do not follow this common sense approach to a better life. When looking for guidance on prayer, who better to learn from than the one who’s prayers were always answered, Jesus. The New Testament is filled with instruction on prayer for anyone who takes the time to study the life, words, instruction, and even the actual prayers of Jesus. In the same message to the multitude from which many people cherry pick the “ask and it shall be given” message, Christ gives a vast amount of instruction on prayer.
In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus instructs that we are not to “be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.” He goes on to say that we should “enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Is Jesus instructing us to pray only when no other person is around? This is a scripture often used out of context by those who do not want to go to church, and insist that they are better served by praying alone at home. It is true that private prayer is needed, but corporate prayer and worship is modeled throughout the bible, and the most powerful appearances of God occur when many are gathered, praying and worshiping corporately. The message being conveyed by Jesus is that prayer is for the glorification of the Father, not for the glorification of man. Eloquent words in the public square are often uttered to impress man, but the Father hears the prayers of the humble that seek only to glorify him. Reading on, we see more instruction from Jesus regarding prayer. Jesus instructs that you should “use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” This again speaks to those who wish to gain acclaim with their beautifully rehearsed prayers. One look at the messenger God chose to lead his people from the bondage of Egypt shows how much credence he gives to how eloquently a man speaks. God is much more concerned with what is spoken from our hearts than how it is spoken. Jesus goes on to instruct that we should “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” This clearly touches on the concept of wasting our breath by asking God for what we think we need. It is vain repetition to tell God, who knows all, that we are in need of something, or that we want something.
It seems that Jesus has given much teaching to the multitude about how not to pray, but he does not stop there. As a demonstration that he is in fact a good shepherd, he goes on to instruct them on how to pray. The Lord’s prayer, as it has come to be known, is a wonderful example of how we are to pray, but many have turned it into vain repetition because they simply speak the words with no real understanding of what they are saying. To understand how we are to pray, it is best to look at the prayer one phrase at a time. He begins by addressing God as “Our Father, which art in heaven.” This is not just an arbitrary phrase that Jesus thought sounded impressive, it is an address to who the prayer is intended for. This simple phrase demonstrates that the emphasis of the prayer is God, not man. The phrase is also the beginning of a conversation, and Jesus makes this clear by addressing God, the figure he is communicating with. The next line is vitally important to understanding the purpose of prayer, and it is simply missed by the majority of Christians. Jesus says “Hallowed be thy name.” To understand this line, we must define the term “hallowed”. The term is defined as follows: to render sacred, to consecrate, to confess as holy, or to give reverence to. Therefore, Jesus begins his prayer by addressing God, and by confessing that his name is to be revered as holy. This is a model for how all prayers should begin; by giving praise to our father God, not by asking for material wealth and blessing when he already knows what we need, and in fact, as joint heirs with Christ, we were blessed before the foundation of the world. Evidence of this blessing can also be found in Matthew: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) From these two simple lines, it is clear that the focus of prayer is the praise and worship of God, not the needs of man. As Jesus continues to pray, he states, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in Earth, as it is in heaven.” As with the previous phrases, Jesus has placed the emphasis on God, and on his will, not the will of man. In another of Jesus’ prayers, he continues this pattern when he prays, “not what I will, but what thou wilt.” This statement again places the true purpose of prayer where it needs to be, on the will of our Father God. Not only does Jesus pray that God’s will be done on Earth, he also prays that God’s kingdom be set up on the Earth, making Earth like heaven. This is lost on millions of Christians that believe God wants to take his people off of the Earth, when in reality, he wishes to bring heaven to Earth so that he can dwell among his people. So, what have we learned after the first few statements of The Lord’s Prayer?

1. Prayer is for the edification of God, not man
2. Prayer is to be God centered, not man centered
3. The first purpose of prayer is to praise our Father God, not to ask for blessings that we already have
4. Prayer should focus on making the will of God a reality on Earth
5. It is the will of God that Earth be like Heaven

It is clear from only a few lines that the majority of people have completely missed the boat on prayer, but what else does Jesus pray? Continuing, Jesus next statement is, “Give us this day, our daily bread.” Is this an appeal to God for physical sustinence? The answer is a resounding no, for God has already promised to fulfill our physical needs as he does the bird’s of the air if we place him first. What is Jesus asking God to give us in his line of the prayer.?
Bread is a symbol of Chist, and of the salvation he represents for all of mankind. It is also symbolic of the word of God that we should daily feed upon to become more like Christ. In essence, Jesus is asking for his daily word from God, his instruction, and his salvation, not a physical meal. After this request, Jesus goes on to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” At first glance, it appears Jesus is asking God to forgive all of his debts, but the meaning is much more powerful when the sentence is completed. Jesus is asking for the judgement of God as a measure of his worth. That is, Jesus is asking the Father to give him the same mercy he shows his fellow man. Is this something you could ask God? Do you want God to treat you the way you treat those who owe you a debt? This ties into the surrounding teachings by Christ to the multitude, and in context, it is a powerful statement. Like much of the Lord’s Prayer, most Christians have no idea what they are praying when they uter these words, but the old adage definitely applies that you should be careful what you wish for. The next line of the prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” seems to be straight forward, and in essence it is, but when looked at closely, it again places the emphasis on God. The line asks God, the only one who can , to give us divine guidance and protection. This is a request for covering, or intercession. It is also a foreshadowing of what Christ is doing now, after his assention: “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” The prayer is then finished by Jesus in a manner similar to how it began, with praise to the Father. Jesus prays, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” In this line, Jesus is confessing that the Kingdom is God’s, he is giving glory to God, and he is announcing that God is all powerful. Sound familiar? It is simply more praise and reverence to the Father God. After studying the entire prayer, we can add to our list of what Jesus teaches us about prayer:

1. Prayer is for the edification of God, not man
2. Prayer is to be God centered, not man centered
3. The first purpose of prayer is to praise our Father God, not to ask for blessings that we already have
4. Prayer should focus on making the will of God a reality on Earth
5. It is the will of God that Earth be like Heaven
6. We are to pray for the divine guidance of God through his word
7. We are to pray for our salvation through Christ
8. We should ask our just God to show us the mercy that we show our fellow man (scary)
9. We should pray for not only guidance, but protection through the covering of Jesus (intercession)
10. Finally, we should again praise God, giving him the power as the all powerful Father that he is, and we should confess that his Kingdom is above all other

As you can see, the majority of the body of Christ needs prayer lessons. Many have relegated God to a spiritual Santa Claus, and in so doing, they have missed the whole point. Prayer is not to be man centered or selfish, it is intended to be God-centered, and the purpose is to give God praise for all of the blessings he has already bestowed upon us, not to ask for more.

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