Point of No Return

This is a personal post on my feelings and what I believe and in no way shape of form is my forcing or requiring any one to accept my beliefs or opinions. Those choices are for an individual to make but I hope I make some consider what has happened, and what I believe will happen in the days ahead.

After the ruling from the Supreme Court was handed down on Friday, it didn't come as a surprise to me. After so many states had already caved in on their positions to recognize same sex marriages in their states, and the recent programming changes like The New Normal and other television shows and networks, and a more aggressive campaign to accept a same sex lifestyle into our society like a slow bleed, I was not caught off guard. For quite some time, we have watched as our rights and freedoms have been changed, called into question, but those of a more liberal persuasion, calling those who have a different opinion over theirs, arrogant, bigots, intolerant and haters.

That hurts because it is not true. I don't hate anyone, and I am educated enough to know right from wrong despite what the mainstream seems to be doing. But that is changing in the world. Right is now seen as wrong and wrong is now being embraced as right. It doesn't make it right but the Bible has predicted this so that is why it comes as no shock.

Friday, was a day that I felt two things, first an overwhelming sadness that persisted well into even today, but it is getting better as God speaks to my heart. I felt on Friday that sadness was the result of the Holy Spirit inside the lives and hearts of believers as it broke for this once blessed nation. It broke as the world even more turned its back on the foundations this country was created on. It has utterly turned away from God and now has turned to beyond shaking a fist at God, but laughing, mocking Him, and turning everything we as believers in God respect, into fire and ash.

The second thing I felt was anger, not at homosexuals but at the Supreme Court, that took it upon itself to interrupt the law of God and twist it, without a law being introduced from Congress for them to vote on and act upon. They simply bypassed the judicial system of how laws are created in this nation and went against everything. It my eyes, they cheated. It doesn't make it right that people felt the decision was justified in some eyes, they cheated. Plain and simple.

It changed the America we knew to the America we now have. There is no going back.

One thing is certain, we have moved the hands of God's coming judgment on the world, just that much closer to coming. When that will happen no one knows, but it will come.

As believers in Jesus, I believe that we have seen and heard God's final warning before the collapse of our culture and our nation. Don't know what comes next, read Deuteronomy 28, it's quite clear and it will happen.

Just because unrighteous laws have been passed does not mean we have to obey them. We are seeing states and churches halting not just same sex marriages, but all marriages for now. In this case, no discrimination cases can come upon them for not performing a marriage. Now we await some defining and clarification to what does the Constitution hold for religious freedoms for churches and pastors. Since the Supreme Court now feels in control, it wouldn't surprise me to see them reinterpret that Constitutional right.

So what can we do as Christians, or as I like to refer to myself as a believer in Jesus Christ?

1. Pray. Now is the time to get serious about our prayer life. We have taken it for granted that prayer can't change anything but it can. It has worked in the past when God's people have repented, turned away from their sinful life, and seek His forgiveness. God is a God of forgiveness, grace and mercy but He will not allow us to continue to claim we belong to Him and continue to live in a defiant attitude of sin. As if we are begging God to do something about it. Make no mistake, God's justice will come, but He is restraining this judgment wishing that NO ONE will perish but all will come to repentance and turn to Him.

I am asking ALL believers in Christ to join with me in 31 non stop days of prayer, beginning July 1st for the entire month based on Ephesians 3:20 ~"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us."

Please make a solid commitment to set your alarms to pray for our nation, our leaders, the world and for a great revival and an awakening to occur at 3:20 every day. It's a simple request and one that I believe will begin to move in such a way, the world can't miss. We failed before in this great nation by believing this would never happen, but let us be faithful in this. Wherever we are at 3:20 am or pm or even both, stop and pray. Will you commit?

2. Don't panic, God is still on the throne! History has shown us that the church often thrives when it is in sharp contract to the culture. Consider the implications and struggles of the first century churches. They stayed with God despite what they faced. We, believers in Jesus Christ, can outlive, outlove and out pray this world only with the help of Jesus Christ. We can survive what has happened and come out of this stronger than ever before if we learn from our mistakes.

3. We need to Keep Calm and Carry On! Did you realize that this slogan came from WWII at a time when Britain was under attack and it was issued by Sir Winston Churchill? That is precisely what we need to do when the world is hoping we all cower and go back into our holes quietly or as some have suggested leave, go someplace else where you will be accepted.

4. We need to show this changing culture what true traditional marriage really looks like! What a biblical marriage looks like, not perfect but perfectly forgiven! We all make mistakes, and it will be those in this culture that will seek to magnify those mistakes, but our mistakes don't define us, as long as we repent and move forward in the forgiveness that can only come from God. Our marriages should be a testimony to non-believers and we need to live it the way God intended. We need to remember that all marriages have irreconcilable differences but that is not a reason for divorce. Those differences are what make our marriages strong and what initially attracted us to our husbands and wives in the first place.

5. We need to show the love of Christ to everyone!!! People are struggling with those same sex attractions and feelings, but they don't need to act on them. Just like all of us have struggles with some area of sin in our life, we need to understand separating our feelings from our actions. Just because it feels right, doesn't mean it is right. Everything needs to be held up to the biblical standard of what is absolute right from what is absolute wrong. Without it, we would have no law and everyone would see fit to do what feels right or wrong to them. But it doesn't make it right.

The one thing I have found tossed in my face has been the scripture, "Judge not, lest you be judged.: by most non believers and even some well meaning Christians. So how do you deal with that? Easy if you look at it in context that is conveniently removed.

Matthew 7: 1-2, "Judge not, that you not be judged. For with judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (NKJV). 

Matthew 7:1-2 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV).

Matthew: 7:1-2 "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging, is the standard by which you will be judged." (NLT).

It simply states that we can judge if the standards we are using are biblical because those same standards are the ones God will use when judging us all. We are however, not to confuse judging others with condemnation. That is often where the line is crossed. But most times, people toss that convenient scripture at Christians but not applied to themselves either. Aren't those who are content with this recent ruling, judging those who stand on biblical standards to speak the truth whether they want to hear it or not. Most thing it means to be accepting of everyone and everything, but it doesn't.

So what does love really look like?

It doesn't mean accepting all things, but we must care about others, often times enough to be honest with them. Just as a parent disciplines a child when they do things that are wrong, in love to correct them and keep them from making those same mistakes, we don't simply accept everything our child does in hopes that they will one day realize that truth but in the meantime, will love us more in spite of our willingness to let them do whatever they want. That is NOT love.

Proverbs 27:5-6 ~ " Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." (NIV). 

6. Lastly let us engage people with the Gospel. Everyone is searching for God and no one is beyond the reach of God, look at Saul of Tarsus who would later become Paul, one of the greatest disciples of Jesus. Anyone on the side of Jesus will face severe opposition. But we need to learn how to defend ourselves, to become either a victor or a victim. The devil will intensify his attacks on someone who is making a difference for Christ. Look at Job's example!

Remember as followers of Jesus Christ, we can't be snatched out of His hand, but for non believers, you are a sitting duck for Satan. He can blind their eyes so they don't believe and see the truth. So we must arm ourselves not just daily, but put on God's armor once and for all! We can't lower our guard for one minute because when we do, that's when we get hit! We have to stand against the wiles of the devil. He comes at us when we least expect it. It can come at the most inappropriate times like in the middle of church. Remember it is not a sin to be tempted, reject it immediately, we don't need to act on it, entertain it or give in to it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (NIV).

There is always a way out when you are tempted. Sometimes the solution is the easiest like using the door. The spiritual battle doesn't let up until we get to heaven. Remember what Satan doesn't want you to know, that he was defeated at the cross.

1 John 3:8 ~ "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (NIV).

God's powers are unlimited, Satan's are limited.

Colossians 2:13-16 ~ "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of the, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you but what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day." (NIV). 

We are not fighting for victory, but from victory. We are now under the power of Jesus Christ. It's time to Stand Our Ground!! I believe what we will see now, is a thinning of churches, those who were not true Christians, will walk away and those false prophets in the church will now be revealed and what is left will be the One True Church of Jesus Christ, a pure and unblemished Bride awaiting her Groom! When things look like they're coming apart, they are actually coming together!