A conversation between two disobedient people:

"Hey, doesn't the bible say two men or two women should not marry?"
"Nah, that was just for the culture back then."
"Cool.  That works!"

"Well, doesn't the Bible say the husband is the head of the wife?"
"Nah, that was just for the culture back then."
"Cool.  That works!"

"Ok, but doesn't the Bible say parents should train their children in Godliness and not allow a hint of immorality in our lives?"
"Nah, that was just for the culture back then."
"Cool.  That works!"

"Ok, but doesn't the Bible say a man and a woman should not have sex unless they are married?"
"Nah, that was just for the culture back then."
"Cool.  That works!"

"Whew, sure glad we live in an ungodly culture.  Otherwise, we would have to be obedient!"
"Me too!  (Sigh of relief)"
"Let's go to church!"
"Cool.  That works!"

In our Nation's Capitol today, men can marry men and women can marry women.  Many will do so in "churches."

God's Word:

Lev 18:22 ESV
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Rom 1:16-32 ESV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

(21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

(24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, (25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

(26) For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; (27) and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (28) And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
 
(29) They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, (30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, (31) foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (32) Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.


Lord, forgive our Nation.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

This is a really good article from the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches website.

Here

Enjoy!

Yesterday, I taught this message:

The Question of Family Integration

I was braced for drama after the message (LOL), but to God be the Glory, the response has been 98% positive so far!  I even received this email this morning from a member....

"Good morning Pastor,

I've been sick with the flu and not able to attend service for 2 Sundays now but my hubby brought back the message yesterday (with notes) and my heart leaped for joy! We are so excited about this fresh approach to discipling children.

I was kind of dreading sending (name of child) to the toddler room because I really did want him with us and getting used to an environment of praise, worship and the word. But in all churches I've been to it's expected for parents and kids to part ways. I was so relieved when I heard our new family integrated approach. I know this kid really well and look forward to the challenge of discipling him into a mature god-fearing man. It's great to know that we have a church that will help us continue our hands-on raising instead of only giving us classes to put him in. PRAISE GOD!

Obviously, the Lord has been preparing our hearts for this shift. We are 100% with you pastor. Forward in Jesus Name!"

Thank you Father, for leading CRCC!

Hey CRCC and Friends....HAPPY and HOLY NEW YEAR!!!

I'd like to encourage you all to prayerfully create some goals for 2010 that would honor Christ. Here are some areas to set them in:

1. Spiritual/Devotional Life
2. Family and Fellowship
3. Discipling/Serving Others
4. Health/Exercise
5. Stewardship and Giving
6. Education/Career
7. Church Ministry

I know many of you are glad 2009 is over! I AM!! LOL!! So let's make 2010 the best we can by finding our what God wants in these areas and giving Him our best every single day!

Lord Jesus, we dedicate this year to YOU!!! Let's go!!!

What an awesome (and totally opposite of what we normally preach) reminder of how God works on us from A.W. Tozer....

December 2

Trials and Pain: Piles of Ashes

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11

If God has singled you out to be a special object of His grace you may expect Him to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than less favored ones are called upon to endure....

If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. That Incredible Christian, pp. 122-124

"Lord, give me the grace to withstand 'the saw, the hammer and the chisel.'  I want the finished product; I often chafe under the process. I submit myself today to Your working. Amen."

...To see what is coming.

$1,000,000,000,000: Approximate US Credit Card Debt (Yes, that is TRILLION)
$1,400,000,000,000: 2009 US Budget Deficit (In a single year!!!!)
$12,000,000,000,000: US National Debt
$56,000,000,000,000: Approximate US Unfunded Liabilities (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security)

Combine all this with our national inability to balance a budget, corporate debt, other personal debts, bank debts, mortgage debt, loss of a robust manufacturing sector, trade deficits, lack of personal savings, and sadly...church debt...what do you come up with?

Some seriously tough times/choices ahead for our Nation, and a Christian community just as unprepared as everyone else.

Not to be all doom and gloomy here, but there are only a few ways this could play out:

1.  National default
2.  Serious inflation
3.  Crazy high taxes
4.  Drastic cutting of Government services
5.  Some combination of all the above

There literally are no other alternatives. 

My point in all this is actually a positive one.  Just as Joesph saw the famine coming and helped Egypt prepare by saving, likewise the Church and individual believers need to take their eyes off "breakthrough" just long enough to start doing the same. 

When lost and hurting people look for help in the next 20-30 years and the Government is broke, will we be ready?

 

U.S. Debt Clock Real Time

"Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. 28 "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon." (Genesis 41:25-32)

Alarmist?  Prophetic hyperbole?  Our Nation too big to fail?  Maybe, but we sure better prepare anyway....

"We must have a special eye upon families, to see that they are well ordered, and the duties of each relation performed.  The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Church and the State, depend much on family government and duty. If we suffer the neglect of this, we shall undo all.  What are we like to do ourselves to the reforming of a congregation, if all the work be cast on us alone; and masters of families neglect that necessary duty of their own, by which they are bound to help us?  If any good be begun by the ministry in any soul, a careless, prayerless, worldly family is like to stifle it, or very much hinder it; whereas, if you could but get the rulers of families to do their duty, to take up the work where you left it, and help it on, what abundance of good might be done!  I beseech you, therefore, if you desire the reformation and welfare of your people, do all you can to promote family religion....Get masters of families to do their duty, and they will not only spare you a great deal of labour, but will much further the success of your labours."

Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor, pp. 100-102, the Year 1656