Homosexual Activist Admits True Purpose Of Battle "IS" To Destroy Marriage - Revisit

How often have we heard from the Liberal and Secular world, "Don't be silly!  How can Same-Sex Marriage and the LGBTQ+ movement hurt you and your family?  Why don't you just mind your own business and let others love whoever they want?"

Is there truth in that statement/question?  Or is it just a sheet of Liberal Fog they are using to hide their real intention - the normalization and acceptance of any and all aberrant lifestyles?  For many years I have most certainly been witnessing a heavy fog of Liberalism rolling in across America.

Below is a blog I first posted in 2013.  And we have to admit that what was brought to light in that blog five years ago - is becoming reality today across America.  I think it is time the fog is blown away and the true intent of the Liberal Left Movement is shown in all its true anti-God, anti-American, anti-Family glory. 

That said, let me offer this Fog Warning blog for your consideration:

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Homosexual Activist Admits True Purpose Of Battle "IS" To Destroy Marriage
April 16, 2013 at 3:25pm

This morning, when I saw the article "Homosexual Activist Admits True Purpose of Battle is to Destroy Marriage" on Facebook - I was not going to share it on the TimesDaily Religion Forum. 

But since an atheist Forum Friend felt a need to share the article "Judge Rules In Favor Of Women Denied Room At Hawaii Bed And Breakfast Because They're Gay"  (http://news.yahoo.com/judge-rules-favor-lesbians-suing-130056847.html) - I felt that, in support of fair play, I should also present this Gay Activist's view of Same-Sex Marriage and the homosexual lifestyle.

Homosexual Activist Admits True Purpose Of Battle Is To Destroy Marriage
http://illinoisfamily.org/homosexuality/homosexual-activist-admits-true-purpose-of-battle-is-to-destroy-marriage/
Written By Micah Clark   |   April 6, 2013

"In 1989 Micah Clark graduated from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  Micah then served as a legislative assistant for Citizens Concerned for the Constitution. He served as the Indiana Family Institute’s Director of Public Policy, and later as its Executive Director, throughout the 1990’s. In November 2001, Micah became the Executive Director of the American Family Association of Indiana."

Even knowing that there are radicals in all movements, doesn’t lessen the startling admission recently by lesbian journalist Masha Gessen.  On a radio show she actually admits that homosexual activists are lying about their radical political agenda.  She says that they don’t want to access the institution of marriage - they want to radically redefine and eventually eliminate it.

Here is what she recently said on a radio interview:

“It’s a no-brainer that (homosexual activists) should have the right to marry, but I also think equally that it’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist. .  .  .  (F)ighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we are going to do with marriage when we get there — because we lie that the institution of marriage is not going to change, and that is a lie.

The institution of marriage is going to change, and it should change.  And again, I don’t think it should exist.  And I don’t like taking part in creating fictions about my life.  That’s sort of not what I had in mind when I came out thirty years ago.

I have three kids who have five parents, more or less, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t have five parents legally.  .  .  I met my new partner, and she had just had a baby, and that baby’s biological father is my brother, and my daughter’s biological father is a man who lives in Russia, and my adopted son also considers him his father. 

So the five parents break down into two groups of three.  .  .  And really, I would like to live in a legal system that is capable of reflecting that reality, and I don’t think that’s compatible with the institution of marriage.”

(Source: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/why-get-married/4058506)

For quite some time, the defenders of natural marriage have attempted to point out that the true agenda behind the homosexual demands organizations is not marriage equality - it is the total unraveling of marriage and uprooting traditional values from society.  This will ultimately include efforts to silence and punish some churches that openly adhere to their religious teachings about marriage and sexual morality.

While few have been as vocal as this lesbian activist was in this interview, we do have numerical examples proving her point.  When given the opportunity to marry, after laws have been struck down relatively small percentages of homosexuals actually bother to marry compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

This raises question about the true need to unravel marriage for the “fair” extension (of) its benefits.  Only 12 percent of homosexuals in the Netherlands marry compared to 86 percent of their heterosexual peers.  Less than 20 percent of same-sex couples already living together in California married when given the chance in 2008.  In contrast, 91 percent of heterosexual couples in California who are living together are married.

Clearly this is about cultural change and tearing down the traditional family ethic, since it seems that most homosexuals living together neither need nor desire to marry, though they do desire to radically change marriage.

Gays and lesbians are free to live as they choose, and we live in a society which roundly applauds them doing so like never before in our history.  But they do not have the right to rewrite marriage for all of society.

As a Christian, I believe that Traditional Marriage (one man, one woman) was instituted in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.  And, once again for the record, I do not hate homosexuals and lesbians, nor does God.  I do not feel that we should relegate them to subnormal status in our society. 

BUT, I do not believe we should allow them to destroy Traditional Marriage, which has been the way of life in America for almost 400 years (from the Mayflower Compact in 1620 to today).

Homosexuality is not a Civil Right!  It is a societal desire and way of life.  Everyone in America has the same right - to marry any other willing person they desire - of the opposite sexual gender.  No, they cannot marry children.  No, they cannot marry their pet dog or sheep.  No, they cannot have multiple spouses at the same time.   That is not what was meant in these words below when, in 1620, the Mayflower Compact was written:

In the name of God, Amen.  We, whose names are underwritten, . . .  Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith, and the honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another; covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

Those early settlers of America knew that man, left to his own desires, would corrupt our mutual society.  So, being forced by bad weather to land in Massachusetts rather than their initial destination of Virginia - the first thing they did before establishing their homes at what became Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts - was to set down a body of civic law to govern ALL people equally - not giving special privileges to a few who want to be different.

I believe that is a good rule of thumb for America today.  That we ALL live by and under the same laws and rules.  And, one of those is Traditional Marriage, the cornerstone of our American nation and society.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Do "YOU" Want To Be A More Effective Witness?

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SHARE THE WORD OF GOD with a non-believer or a new believer?  Glad you asked.  As most of my Friends know, I believe strongly in the power of a good Bible study as a means of sharing the Gospel with the non-believer and the new believer - and it is still the best way for we who have been in Christ for a while to grow more mature in our walk with the Lord.

About 25 years ago, Dory and I became involved in a Bible study being held in our apartment community.  We had a very good leader, Bill (not me) and we both really liked his method of leading a Bible study.  We took a book of the Bible and began to read and discuss that book, verse by verse.

Let me give you an example:  As most Bible study leaders will do, since this was a new study group, Bill began in the book of John.  We began reading:

John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Then we discussed that verse:  In the beginning of what?  Who is the Word?  How is the Word God?  Do you know that some people teach that the Word was "a" god and not the Triune God?

John, 1:2, "He was in the beginning with God."

If He is God, how can He be with God?  Can you explain that relationship?

As you can see, that method of leading a Bible study might take more time to get through a Scripture passage or book.  But no one will be left behind in their understanding of God's message to us in those verses.  That should be our goal - to lead folks through the salvation story and leave no one behind.

I was once left behind.  In 1991 when the Gulf War hit its peak and the oil wells in Kuwait were burning, spewing great dark clouds of smoke into the air - I am sure that inspired many, many Bible study leaders to jump into a study of the End Times Prophecies.  We had a very good Bible study leader, Tom Fletcher, and that Friday evening Tom began to talk about the Rapture, the Tribulation, etc. - and, being a relatively new believer, I had no idea what those words meant.  But, no way was I going to ask questions and show my Biblical illiteracy.  So I smiled and listened, quietly.

That evening did one thing for me.  It made me realize that End Times Prophecies must be very important to we believers, therefore I need to learn more.  So that I can intelligently join in the discussions.  That evening in 1991 began my desire to study eschatology, the End Times.  And even though I have learned a lot in the ensuing years - I still have a lot to learn. 

Yes, I have a lot to learn about eschatology - and I also have a lot to continue learning about our Christian faith.  That is why I was so excited when I found this new series of Bible study videos which take us from the basics of witnessing our faith to the non-believer and new believer - to greater maturity in our own Christian walk.

If, in your deeper studies of Scripture, you have wanted to become more knowledgeable of the Greek language of our New Testament - most likely you have found the book "Greek For The Rest Of Us, Mastering Bible Study Without Mastering Biblical Languages" by Dr. William D. Mounce.  That book has been in my personal library for many years.  And now I have found this new video series, with notes and slides available, presented by Dr. Mounce.

More information on Dr. Bill Mounce:  He is the founder and President of BiblicalTraining (dot) org, he serves on a Committee for Bible Translation, and he has written the best-selling biblical Greek textbook, "Basics of Biblical Greek," and many other Greek resources.  He blogs regularly on Greek and issues of spiritual growth.  He was also a preaching pastor - a professor of New Testament and director of the Greek Language Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - and a professor at Azusa Pacific University.

His education background:

Ph.D. 1981, in New Testament - Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, Scotland.
M.A. 1977, in Biblical Studies - Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.
B.A. 1975, in Biblical Studies, minor in Greek - Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota; Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1971-74.  

In the first video of the series, Dr. Mounce takes the key Scripture verse, John 3:16, and breaks it down so that we all - non-believer, new believer, and more mature believer - will gain new insight into that life-promising verse.

Let's take a look at the first video titled "Conversion."

The teaching in the video follows this outline:

A. “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD”

1. Who or what is God? 

2. Why did He create the world?

3. What is our relationship with God?

B. “THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON”

1. What actually happened on the cross

2. Merciful heart of God

3. Who Jesus is

C. “THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM"

1. Whoever believes

2. Not simply “believe”

3. Believe into

4. Psalm 23

5. Salvation is not something we earn

6. Salvation is believing Jesus

D. “MIGHT NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”

1.  What does it mean to have eternal life?

2.  Do you have eternal life?

E. COUNT THE COST

F. GOD’S GOAL

Video Lesson Intro:

Looking back over your conversion experience:  It’s always a good idea to look back over your conversion experience.  What do you think happened when you became a follower of Jesus Christ?  Are you unclear about anything?  Could you possibly have misunderstood anything?  Did anything happen of which you might not be aware?

https://www.biblicaltraining.org/conversion/now-i-believe            

Or you can Watch/Download the video showing only presentation slides:

    https://vimeo.com/159970839

I pray that you will find this video series useful in your Soul Winning / Evangelism efforts - and also in your personal study of God's Word as you seek to become more mature in your Biblical knowledge and as you become a more effective witness to the lost of this world.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Often I Am Amazed At How God Orchestrates Events

Two weeks ago I was asked to lead an impromptu Bible study at our church.  Because of the refurbishing work being done on our new church facility, the man who was to lead the Bible study was not available - so at the last minute I was asked to lead it - and I really enjoyed it.

Last night as we were driving home from our Friday night Bible Study/Prayer Meeting, I mentioned to Dory that one of our young adult members asked me how I liked teaching the Bible study the previous week - and that I had replied, "I don't teach Bible studies - I lead them."  Dory asked, "What is the difference?"

Glad you asked.  A person who is "teaching" a Bible study typically stands before the group, often at a pulpit - and basically gives a lecture, i.e., sermon, with no interaction.  When I am "leading" a Bible study I prefer to sit with the group.  I will offer a short introduction of what we want to discuss that evening - which is typically a Scripture passage, maybe a short book in the Bible, or as we did last week I led a topical discussion on the issue of Eternal Security.  Then we will read the relevant Bible passage or passages, verse by verse, and discuss what we believe God is teaching us though His Word. 

A Bible study "leader's" main task is to get the discussion going and then encourage others to join in the dialogue.  Such a study should encourage folks to ask questions and offer comments.  That is great because it often leads us down a different avenue than we typically might follow when reading that passage.  It might be a new insight into the meaning of that Scripture passage - or it may be a dead-end tangent.  Either way we learn from the discussion.

The task of the Bible study leader - is to get folks talking about the Scripture verse just read and to get them to raise new questions and comments.  But then, the leader must keep the discussion from getting lost in a dead-end tangential thought or idea.  The "leader" must know when to encourage more comments/questions - and when to pull the dialogue back on track toward the main goal of better understanding that Scripture passage.

That was my main thought in the Facebook Note I posted in 2013 - and it is timely for the excellent Teacher, Pastor Freddy Cortez, who inspired this Facebook Note in 2013 is in the hospital this week for open-heart surgery.  So, I want to take this opportunity to ask you to lift prayers that it be God's will to return this great pastor/teacher to his pastoral and teaching ministry, where he has been so effective for the past 25+ years.

These are excerpts from that Facebook Note:

Church Of Hope, An Apostle Paul Styled Church - A Church With A Teaching Spirit!
https://www.facebook.com/notes/527491027297055/
April 7, 2013 at 11:35pm

Over the years you have seen me writing about the importance of a Christian church being a "teaching church."  Some have disagreed with me when I have said that a Christian believer gains knowledge of God's Word in this order and with this degree of learning:  Sermons (20%), Sunday Schools (40%), and Bible studies (40%).   Why do we learn so much more in Sunday Schools and Bible studies?  Because we can interact, we can discuss, we can chew on His Word, absorb His Word into our inner being (Jeremiah 15:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3).

I read somewhere, "As a baby grows by eating the proper food, so also Christians must grow by eating the Word of God."   God's Word is pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2) - it is the bread of life (Matthew 4:4) - it is spirit and life (John 6:63) - and it is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1).   How do we get this wonderful spiritual food?  First, by hearing it (Ephesians 1:13) through the teachings of elders and teachers (Acts 2:42) and by "chewing on it"  through active discussions found in Sunday Schools and Bible studies, private and corporate.  .  .  .

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Bill Gray:  Hi Pastor Freddy, How many Bible studies and teaching classes do you have now at Church Of Hope?  Please bring me up to date.  I want to eat my heart out!  Thank you and God bless, Bill    (March 16 at 2:08am)

Alfredo I. Cortez Jr.:   Hi Mr. Bill, Great hearing from you as always.  I teach eight times a week.  This includes online training overseas, for our Hope Bible Institute Satellite School in Cameroon, Africa.  Pastor Teh, in Africa, is our coordinator and is doing a fantastic job hosting our studies/school.  We are finalizing our Hope Bible Institute Satellite School in the Philippines.  If all goes well, HBI Philippines will be up and running within two months.

I wish you were nearby so that you can participate in some of this.  You have always been a faithful servant of God and I trust that God continues to use you to His glory.  Thank you!  (March 16 at 10:50am)

Bill Gray Note:  The Hope Bible Institute Satellite School in the Philippines has been ongoing for several years.  And Pastor Freddy leads a Bible Conference in the Philippines once a year.

I pray that you will take a moment and read the full Facebook Note - and that it will help you in establishing your own growth pattern toward greater maturity in your knowledge of God's Word.

And, once again, please keep Pastor Freddy Cortez, his family, his church family, and his teaching ministry family in your prayers.  Let us continually be asking God to fully restore Pastor Freddy to those loved ones and students who depend upon him so much.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Let's Talk Bibles!

In a Facebook post I made two days ago, regarding a satirical article posted on The Babylon Bee satire site - which claimed that a church in Oklahoma was so adamant about their status as a KJV-ONLY church - that the church leaders demanded that all people entering the church must have transparent covers on their Bibles.  And that way the Bible Guards at the door could ascertain if anyone was trying to sneak a non-KJV Bible into their service. 

And I suggested in my post:  The only church fellowship which I could even imagine being such a strong "KJV-ONLY Extremist" might possibly be the Westboro Baptist church in Kansas which was pastored by the late Fred Phelps, Sr. and which, under his leadership, protested all over the country with "GOD HATES - - - - " banners.

The dialogue which followed my post was productive with comments by several Christian brothers.  And, as usually happens when believers have a good discussion underway, the old adversary sends his troops in to muddy the water. 

In the discussion an old nemesis from the years I spent sharing on the TimesDaily Religion Forum, Alfred Newman (pseudonym?), raised his head and this dialogue between us pursued:

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Alfred:  There is no "perfect translation," and the King James version may be one of the worst.  But don't let facts get in your way.

Bill Gray:  Hi Alfred Newman, My initial reaction was to ask how you, a non-believer, would know anything about the Bible.  But then I realized that most atheists are quite knowledgeable about the Bible.  Their problem is that most of them are more concerned about "self" and "I control my own life" - and do not have the spiritual discernment or desire to truly come face-to-face with Jesus Christ, God.

Some of our more productive Christians started off, like you, as atheists determined to prove God and the Bible to be false.  But, in their individual journeys of proving God wrong - they realized that He really is the Creator and that He really is in control - even for those who want to deny Him.

Good examples are:  C.S. Lewis, an atheist who became one of our most prolific Christian expositors and writers ~ and then Lee Strobel, an atheist who set out to prove God wrong and became a best selling Christian author (The Case For Christ, The Case For Faith, etc.) and a pastor.

Then there is Peter Hitchens who was an atheist like his older brother Christopher Hitchens (late world renown atheist).  Peter became a Christian and spent years publicly defending our Christian faith and debating his brother in public debates.  Sadly his brother, Christopher, died an atheist.

But, Alfred, back to your comment about Bible translations.  Is there one "perfect" Bible translation?  No.  God chose to inspire imperfect men to write His Bible, His literal revelation to man, and in doing that, He was more concerned that His inspired message, His inspired revelation, be literal and inerrant - and less concerned about the many translations.

Are there "bad" translations?  Not really.  It is just that the different translations have different tasks to perform.  Even some of the mislabeled paraphrase Bibles (The Living Bible, The Message, the Good News Bible, etc.) served a purpose.  Back in the 1960s (known as the Decadent Decade of loose morals and sexual promiscuity) and the 1970s with the secular society appearing to push the Christian faith off the edge of the world - those paraphrase Bibles were so easy to read that many who would never have jumped into a KJV, NKJV, or NASB - did begin to read the NLB and later The Message and the New Living Translation.

And God, to supplement His more accurate translations (KJV, NKJV,  NASB) - in His wisdom then gave us the Dynamic Equivalence Bible translations, NIV, etc., which convey the "thought" expressed in the source text using equivalent expressions from a contemporary language - rather than the Formal Equivalence translations (KJV, NKJV, NASB) which give us a "word-for-word" translation which is better for an indepth study of God's Word.

So you see, my Friend, our all knowing (omniscient), all powerful (omnipotent), and omnipresent (all places present) God has given us Bible translations geared to where we are in our relationship to Him.  For the yet-to-believe there are the paraphrases - for the new believer, i.e., "babes in Christ" there are the easier to read translations, i.e., the NIV, TNIV, NLT (New Living Translation Bible), etc.  And for the more mature believers there are the KJV, the NKJV, and the NASB translations.  

Just as we do not start the child in the 1st grade off solving calculus problems - we do not start the non-believer and new "babes in Christ" off trying to understand the more accurate Formal Equivalence Bible translations.  God has chosen to work with each of us at our own level of maturity - and using flawed, imperfect men - His plan is working well.  

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Our Friday Night Bible Study ~ And Eternal Life!

Last Friday evening, because of work schedules and folks busy working on the renovation of our new church building - I was asked to lead an impromptu Bible study for the rest of us.  The group was mostly youth, young adults, with a few of we more mature young folks.  The subject I chose for us to explore in our dialogue that evening was the Christian believer's promise of Eternal Security.

This is a subject which is frequently discussed on religion forums and was chewed to death in my old stomping grounds, the TimesDaily Religion Forum.  There are many like me who firmly believe that the Bible teaches that a believer cannot lose his/her salvation, i.e., we have eternal security in Christ.  Another name for that belief is "Once Saved, Always Saved" which is often shortened to OSAS.  I cannot begin to tell you how often I have had the epithet thrown at me, "Oh, you are one of those OSAS nuts!  You believe all you have to do is say you believe and you are saved, all your sins are forgiven - and then you can go live like hell!"

Yes, I am one of those nuts who believe that a promise from Jesus Christ is firmly set in concrete and will never be broken.  No, I do not believe that a true believer, a person who has 'by grace through faith in Jesus Christ' been given salvation, eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9) - will continue to live a carnal, secular life.  We are assured in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."   That means that the old carnal, secular world loving person who once was Bill Gray is no longer living there.  He has been replaced by a new being, a new creation in Christ - and the old self has been laid to rest.

Does that mean that Bill Graydoes not sin, will never sin again?  Absolutely not!  If that were true, I would be perfect as He is perfect and would not need a Savior.  But, oh boy, do I ever need a Savior?  I needed him badly before I was saved - and I need His presence in my life today, daily, every moment. 

The big difference is that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He paid the sin penalty debt owed to God - for all people.  We read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world (the world, i.e., all the people of the world, no one excluded) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting (eternal) life."

Do you see the key point in that Scripture promise?  He died for the whole world, "paid in full" the sin debt for the whole world.  But the gating factor we find in the phrase:  "whoever believes in Him."    That is the definition of faith, trust in His power to save us.  So, even though Christ died to pay the full price for our sin debt to God - a person has to believe and receive that free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  If you do not receive His gift - you do not have it - and you are still a lost soul wandering in the secular world.

Ephesians 1:13, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."

Then Romans 8:1 tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."   This Scripture verse assures the believer that the moment we believe, trust in and put our faith in Jesus Christ - we will never again be condemned to the wrath of God.

In our Bible study last Friday, I was thrilled when I asked the question, "If someone asks you to give Biblical proof to support your belief that Jesus Christ has promised and has given you eternal life - how would you answer?"

And one of our young men, Herbert, answered right away, "I would offer John 10:29."   I told him, "Yes, that is exactly where I would go - for in that Scripture passage Jesus absolutely promises us that NO ONE can snatch the believer out of His hands nor out of the hands of the Father."

Then I asked Herbert to read that Scripture passage:   

John 10:24, "The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, 'How long will You keep us in suspense?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.'

John 10:25-27, "Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.  But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;'

John 10:28-30, 'and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  I and the Father are one.'"

There are two key phrases in this Scripture passage:  Eternal Life and No One!

When I asked Kaitlin the meaning of Eternal Life, without hesitating she replied, "Life that never ends."  Praise God that the youth and young adults in our Christian fellowship are well taught.  Her answer was right on the button.  Jesus Christ gives eternal life to the believer - and eternal means "never ending."   There is only one definition for salvation, i.e., life which is never ending.  That means that the believer will have never ending life in the presence of God.  That, my Friend, no matter how we dissect it - is Eternal Security.

The other key phrase is "No One!"   Regardless of whether we look at this phrase in English or Greek, it means the same.

The English phrase"no one will snatch them" in Greek is "oudeis dynamai harpazo" and according to Strong's Concordance of the Bible it means:

a. "oudeis dynamai - No person will (1) be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom (2) to be able to (3) to be capable, strong and powerful. 

b. harpazo" - (1) to seize, carry off by force, (2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly, (3) to snatch out or away.

 
So we have: "oudeis dynamai harpazo" or "no one will be able to seize, carry off, or snatch us away."  And that means that we are secure in the hands of Jesus Christ.  NO ONE means NO ONE, not even the believer himself can snatch us out of His hands.

Our Arminian brethren will tell us that, "No one can snatch us out of His hands, but we can walk away from Him."

Once again I will say, "NO ONE means NO ONE, not even the believer himself can snatch us out of His hands."

And the otherepithet often thrown at us is, "If you believe in 'Once Saved, Always Saved' - you must be a Calvinist!" 

No, my Friend, I could never be a Calvinist - for I could never accept the Calvinist teaching of Predestination - nor of their Limited Atonement, the teaching that Christ died only to save those people pre-selected by God before the Creation, i.e., the Elect.  I could never accept their interpretation of John 3:16, that the word "world" means only the pre-selected Elect - when Jesus Christ said "whoever believes has eternal life."

Our Calvinist brethren want to limit the grace of God by saying that He only wants to save some of the people He created in His image, the Elect (a teaching which is denied by 2 Peter 3:9).   And, our Arminian brethren want to limit God's power, His sufficiency, His ability to hold on to those He has saved.  The latter, our Arminian brethren, walk though life always looking over their shoulders, always afraid that some small or unknown sin will take away their salvation.

Both of these erroneous teachings, or theologies, occur because these brethren want to build their theologies upon a few selected, cherry picked Scripture verses/passages - or upon the teaching of men.  Our theology MUST be built upon the full 66 books of Scripture, alone.

These questions I have asked my Calvinist and Arminian brethren:

For my Calvinist brethren:  "Since we are all totally depraved (the "T" in TULIP), how do you know that God has chosen YOU before the Creation to be among His Elect?  You tell me, 'Because I feel it' or 'Because I am living a Christian life.'   No, that is what YOU are doing - and since you tell us we all are totally depraved and can do nothing, of ourselves, to be saved - that cannot apply.  How do you know that YOU were chosen among the Elect?"

For my Arminian brethren:  "Which sin will cause you to lose your salvation?   Is there a sin which is greater than all other sins?  The Bible tells us that all sins are equally grievous to God?  And Jesus Christ died to 'pay in full' our sin debt to God - for ALL sins.  The only sin which is unforgivable applies only to non-believers - and that is the sin of not believing unto death.  So, which sin will cause YOU to lose your salvation?'

So far, no one has answered either question.

We believers are the promised Bride of Christ - indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit of God the very moment we believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior (Ephesians 1:13).  We have committed ourselves to Him, to following Him.  Will we sin?  Unfortunately, yes, for we are all still weak, frail humans with an innate sin nature. 

But, praise God, we are "forgiven sinners" - we are "forgiven sinners" who cannot go back into the world and live an active sin lifestyle.  For we have the Holy Spirit of God living within us, who has sealed us in Christ.   The Holy Spirit living within us will teach us, guide us, and convict us when we do sin.  We are promised in:

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

As Christian believers, we are "forgiven sinners."   But we cannot live an active sin lifestyle and be Christian believers.

Sin is when we, either inadvertently or on purpose, do something which is against the will and commandment of God. 

Sin Lifestyle is when we chose to make that sin (homosexuality, adultery, stealing, etc.) our active, permanent way of life.

If a person does choose to turn his/her back and ignore Christ when He knocks (Revelation 3:20) and live an active sin lifestyle -  it is obvious that person has never been indwelled by the Holy Spirit and has never made an eternal commitment to Jesus Christ.
In summary, Jesus Christ tells us that He gives us eternal life: 

John 10:27-28, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, .  .  . "

Eternal, as pointed out earlier, has only one meaning:  never ending!  If the life that Christ gives us is never ending - that has to mean that no one can snatch us away AND that we cannot just decide to walk away.   We have a bilateral commitment with Christ - a commitment from us and a commitment from Jesus Christ - that we, the believer, will spend "eternity" - never ending eternity - in the presence of God.

And, that my Friends, most certainly IS Eternal Security!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Are YOU Wearing The Full Armor Of God?

It always amazes me when God uses others to give me a green light to write on a delicate subject in one of my blog writings.  It happened this week. 

Last Sunday at IBBC-Riverside Pastor Sergio gave a moving message about the dangers of sin creeping into our Christian lives.  His message was that we can become too comfortable, to complacent in our daily Christian walk, feeling that we are so secure in Christ - that temptation cannot snare us.  And that is when we are most vulnerable.

After his message I shared with our fellowship how his message is not only very true - but that this messages has touched on a moment of weakness which occurred in my own personal life.  I shared about that moment with my immediate church fellowship family, but decided it might be too personal to share with the world in a blog.

Then, yesterday my long time Christian brother, Friend, and solid rock counselor when I need spiritual advise, Pastor Joe de la Peña, posted a blog written by one of his young relatives, Ayessa de la Peña.  And this young Christian lady seemed to echo the thoughts of this much older man, Bill Gray.

She wrote in her blog - and this is just an excerpt most applicable to my situation:  

https://ayessadelapena.blogspot.com/2018/03/my-notes-on-not-even-hint-on-intimacy.html

This is a difficult thing to write, mainly because these issues hit close to home.  I have a very imperfect past.  All of us have.  So reading Josh Harris' (book) "Not Even a Hint: Guarding Your Heart Against Lust" - was both enlightening and painful.  Enlightening because I now understand this better, compared to when I first read the book at 18.  And painful because, well, I've struggled with lust, too.  I'm still struggling, to be honest, and God is still dealing with that part of my life.

Through this rough road, God has constantly reassured me that all my sins are already forgiven because Jesus paid for them when He was crucified.  That when my Father looks at me, He sees nothing but the blood of Jesus whom He sent to bridge the gap between a perfect God and His sinful children.  That I've become a new creation.  That I can do nothing for Him to forgive me more and love me more.  Jesus' work on the cross is complete and finished.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."  (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

I am sharing these notes below - (after so many prayers and begging for God to please just keep this between me and Him, He finally told me to just write this) - because contrary to popular belief, women also struggle with lust.  Just in a different way.  Here's praying this will help those who are struggling with these same things, too, especially my fellow women of God.

Bill Gray Note:  The points below are an abbreviated list of her notes for the sake of brevity:

1.  Repent and ask God to come into your life as both Savior and Lord, knowing that He will complete and finish the good work He has started in you.

2.  Recognize that it is only through Jesus that you will win the fight against sin.  He has already won the fight on the cross when He gave up Himself that we may be reconciled to the Father.

3.  Delete and throw away all copies of movies, TV shows, books, and magazines that will only trigger lust.  It is better to get these out of your sight than put yourself in a difficult situation in the future.  

Bill Gray Note:  Further down in this blog, you will see that I can truly relate to point number 3.

4.  In times of enemy attack, read the Bible and pray that God reveals Himself to you.  Listen to what He has to say.  Then cry your heart out to God and tell the enemy that God has already won your heart and its desires.

5.  Seek to know God more and to have a deeper relationship with Him.  When we understand who the God we're serving and worshiping is - the more we'll come to know how good and faithful He is.  And slowly, He'll fill in the spaces of our hearts with love that will satisfy even the most desperate longings (sexual or not) we have.

So, what great revelation did Pastor Sergio's message and Pastor Joe's Facebook post of Ayessa's blog stir within me?  Glad you asked.

Prior to becoming a believer, I spent fifty years of my life following the secular society and wallowing in its worldly pleasures.  Yes, I was into worldly parties, drinking, sexual desire supposedly fulfilled - all the "feel good - chase your tail" fun and desires which the secular world offered.

Then, at the age of fifty, in 1987, under the spiritual guidance and Godly love of Pastor Sam Lacanienta,I became a Christian believer.  And my life began to change.  Through Bible studies, corporate studies in the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA) fellowship, and personal studies - I began to grow in my knowledge of God's Word and in my daily Christian walk with Jesus Christ.  In other words, I began to mature in my walk with Christ.

I could tell you that all those worldly things from my past no longer appealed for me - but that would not be true.  Even as a believer, we have to take up the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) daily to protect ourselves from Satan's temptations and urges toward carnal desires.  Even little things like telling off-colored jokes as I did in my pre-Christian days - at times almost slipped out.  We have to be on constant watch against such things. 

I recall an incident years ago, when walking into a client's office an object on his desk made me think of a joke I had often told in my earlier years - and without thinking, I almost went into it.  But, praise God, the Holy Spirit within me stopped me.  Yet, I have to admit the temptation was there and it almost slipped out.

Yes,I began to feel very secure in my faith and in my daily Christian walk - and that can, at times, lead to complacency, to being careless - just as Pastor Sergio warned in his message last Sunday.  I had survived years since becoming a believer without Satan's temptations causing me any real problems.  Hey, I must have him licked, I must be keeping old Satan in his place.  Or so I thought.

Fast forward to the mid-1990s and I went to a computer show in Boston.  I was staying in a hotel about two blocks from the convention center, so I enjoyed walking back and forth each day.  Normally when I am staying in a hotel for days or, in this case, a week - I like to have snacks in my hotel room in case I get the munchies.  So, the first day as I walked back to my hotel I passed a small market and decided to go in and buy my munchies.

Walking into the market I had to walk past their magazine rack - and there on that rack was a selection of the men's adult magazines I read for so many years before becoming a Christian believer.  I wasn't expecting to see them in this small Mom & Pop market - I had no desire to look for a store which sold such magazines - I had not even thought of such magazines for years.  But, there I was - face to face with them - and experiencing Satan's subtle temptation which he had slipped past my spiritual guard.

Yes, along with the munchies I had gone into the store to buy - I came out with several of those magazines.  By the time I got back to my hotel room my spiritualcomplacency was shattered.  I felt like a man who had been wearing a white suit - and then went wallowing in a pig sty.  Yes, I felt very dirty, very sick in my heart - for I knew that Satan had caught me at a moment of weakness - and had led me into sinning against my Lord.

No, Satan did not force me to buy those magazines.  He just put the temptation there in a moment when my guard was down, in a moment of spiritual weakness.  And, for a moment he seemed to have won.  But you and I know that the reason I began to feel so dirty, so soiled - is because the Holy Spirit was doing His job, He was convicting me (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, John 16:7-11).

What was I to do?   The number 3 suggestion in Ayessa's list above has the answer:  "Delete and throw away all copies of movies, TV shows, books, and magazines that will only trigger lust.  It is better to get these out of your sight than put yourself in a difficult situation in the future."

And that was my immediate thought.  I could just throw those magazines in the trash can in my hotel room - but the temptation would still be there telling me, "Don't worry, Bill.  It is just a small sin, just for today - you can enjoy them once again - and then you can get rid of them."   No thank you, Satan.  First of all, there is no "small sin" in the eyes of God.  Sin is sin - and God hates sin.

I put those magazines back into the paper bag, left my hotel room, and walked about half a mile down the street until I found a trash dumpster.  And, boy, was the content of my paper bag absolute trash?  Yes, that was the appropriate place for such magazines - buried in a trash dumpster where I could not be tempted - and where no one else could stumble upon them and be tempted by Satan's magazines.

Now, let me share with you the greatest blessing from this messy episode?  For the rest of that week I walked to and from the convention center - passing that store every day, twice a day - and I was NEVER tempted to go to that magazine rack again.   Praise God I felt clean once again.

Yes, I have bared my soul to you.  Just asAyessa bared her soul in the blog that she posted and that Pastor Joe shared.  Pastor Sergio's message and Pastor Joe's sharing of Ayessa's blog - was a healing ointment for now I can share my story, prayerfully hoping that it will be the message some other believer needs to hear at this moment. 

And, just as May Patam, wife of Pastor Charles Patam, shared with me way back in the early 1990s when we were discussing our Fil-Am Church of Irvine quarterly newsletter, published through the hard work of Fernando Cinco (now Pastor Fernando), who was distressed seeing most of them end up in the trash can after the service, "If one person, just one soul, is helped by the work of making the newsletter - then that is worth all the work." 

And that conversation was the seed which began my years of eNewsletters, blogs, and apologetic dialogues. 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Christian Feminist Theology? ~ And The Decline Of Family Values In America!

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE "CHRISTIAN FEMINIST THEOLOGY"?  ~  Don't feel bad, neither am I.  Yet that is the theological belief of Dr. Alison Downie, who earned her PhD in Systematic Theology at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) with a concentration in "Christian Feminist Theology." 

Her academic interests include ecofeminist theologies, disability theologies, religious understandings of self and memoir, religious themes in literature and film, and interfaith dialogues.  She is also active in the scholarship of teaching and learning.  (https://www.iup.edu/religiousstudies/faculty/downie,-alison/)

That introduction and the article posted below made me think of our Sunday School Class last Sunday.  Our class is currently going through a Sunday School workbook titled "The ABC's of Christian Maturity, A-Z Bible Studies In The Meat Of The Word" by Robert J. Sargent.  We are currently up to "D" in our workbook and, as you might guess, our subject last Sunday was Divorce.  As our class began, Sunday School leader, Ben Gallardo, read from the introductory part of our lesson:

The United States of America leads the world in divorce. .  .  .  The divorce rate (in America) has tripled since 1960.  A University of Oklahoma study found the "no fault" divorce laws raised the divorce rate in 44 states. .  .  .

A 1988 study by the National Center for Health Statistics found that children in single-parent families (including those whose parents never married) are more likely to drop out of high school, become pregnant as teenagers, abuse drugs, and get into trouble with the law than those living with both parents.  [Sources:  Los Angeles Times, 5/27/96, Family Research Council, US Department of Health & Human Services.]

Does anyone notice a statistic, a time frame in that statement which could account for this decline in family stability and moral family values? 

Yes - 1960!

What happened in the early 1960s which could so drastically change family values and alter the family landscape in America?  Glad you asked.

In 1963 the atheist activist, Madelyn Murray O'Hair, teamed with the ACLU and petitioned the Supreme Court to remove God, the Bible, and prayer from all American public schools.  Along with the removal of God from our schools and public lives - two extreme changes were brought about by this 1963 Supreme Court decision:   (1) Evolution firmly replaced teaching of the Creation in our schools - from Kindergarten through college and university, and (2) Positive Moral Values could no longer be taught in our school systems.  That void of moral values was filled by the teaching of Relative Moral Values, i.e., Relativism.

What is Relativism?  Basically Relativism has one criteria for all moral values:  "If it feels right to you - it is right!"   Yes, folks, now everyone, from children in kindergarten, to young adults, to cranky old seniors - can establish their own moral values.  "If it feels right to you - it is right."  And that includes sexual activities, smoking, drinking, ignoring parental guidance, etc., anything that feels right to you, regardless of your age or maturity - IS RIGHT for you!  Forget how it impacts others.  All you need concern yourself with - is yourself.  After all, it is all "relative!"

And, heaven forbid that a student, especially a male student (who is a religious studies major)in the lecture class taught by Dr. Alison Downie of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, appropriately named: "Christianity 481: Self, Sin, and Salvation" - should propose that there are only two genders.  How dare he suggest that God created man in His own image, that He created mankind as male and female:

Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

A student at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania was kicked out of a class on Christianity (for) arguing that there are only two genders.

Student, Lake Ingle, was suspended from Dr. Alison Downie's class on Christianity after he argued that there are only two genders.  After viewing a TED talk by transgender ex-pastor Paula Stone Williams, Ingle raised his hand and claimed that biologists believe that there are only two genders.

Ingle was immediately kicked out of class by the professor and asked not to return.  Now, pending an administrative investigation, Ingle - a senior - may not graduate in May.

In a shocking letter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania provost Timothy Moerland says that on top of Ingle’s suspension from the classroom, he will be required to apologize to the class.  Ingle will then be forced to listen to his peers describe how his comments made them feel.

Lake will write an apology to the professor which specifically addresses each of the disrespectful behaviors described above, demonstrating ability to take responsibility for inappropriate behavior which has significantly damaged the learning environment of this course. 

He will explain the importance of an atmosphere of safety for an educational environment, acknowledge how his class behavior has significantly damaged this classroom atmosphere, and explain how he will demonstrate respect for the professor, the course material, and all fellow students at each remaining class session. 

On March 8, Lake will begin class with an apology to the class for his behavior and then listen in silence as the professor and/or any student who wishes to speak shares how he or she felt during Lake’s disrespectful and disruptive outbursts on February 28.

“My professor is violating my First Amendment rights because of the fact that my views and ideology are different from hers,” Ingle told Fox News in a comment.  “So she took it on herself to silence and embarrass me – bully me – for speaking up in class.”

“It is my firmest belief that every human being has the freedom and right to identify, dress, and represent oneself as they see fit,” Ingle added.  “I think this is all an attempt to silence my views personally because they contradict the ones she pushes in class.  .  .”

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public research university located in Indiana, Pennsylvania.  Alison Downie, the professor for Ingle’s course, claims expertise in “Christian Feminist Theology.”  She is a faculty member of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Women’s and Gender Studies program.

Ingle says that this incident has only strengthened his motivation to become a professor.  “When you see that kind of misuse of intellectual power, you want to be the person that comes back and does it responsibly and with morals,” Ingle said.  “Instead of being the purveyor of your ideology, you can be (should be) an educator.”   (http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/03/12/student-booted-from-christianity-class-for-arguing-that-there-are-only-two-genders/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social)

Dr. Alison Downie looks to be about mid-fifties, which would mean that she was born and grew up in the mid-1960s - and is a product of that "Relative Moral Values" generation.  Couple that with a PhD from a liberal university - and we have the perfect formula for creating a Liberal Feminist professor who will continue to propagate false doctrines such as a "Christian Feminist Theology."  

Is there any doubt in your mind why college age students today are so confused about God, moral values, and their own gender identity?  A great number of them grew up in educational environments which follow the Secular World's teaching - rather than the values found in God's Word?

Is there any doubt why so many young people are confused about their own gender, sexuality, and purpose in life - why they collapse emotionally when those values are challenged?  Can you see what that kind of "population indoctrination" means for the future of America and American families? 

Food for thought?  Absolutely.  Also it should be strong motivation for each of us to begin our own personal campaign of bringing the Word of God to a lost, fallen America and world?

To view the graphic below, click on the image and it will be displayed in larger format.  When you are finished viewing the larger image, click on the "X" at the top right corner of the screen to return to the normal blog viewing.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill