Today is Truth or Lie Thursday! Inbox me your questions, doubts, issues, or beefs with the Bible or Christianity or Jesus Christ, and I won’t blast you but I’ll do some research and inbox you back with an answer that is (hopefully) good for you!
HOW DID WE GET HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE CONGREGATION?
Q: What would you say to a leader whose children were raised in the church, and during their teenaged years or at any point decides to openly live a homosexual lifestyle. How do you handle the child, and the church?
A: Sometimes children choose to live in homosexual sin because of evil influences or a lack of protection from evil. Like for instance rape, abuse, or fatherlessness causes them to lose hope in living righteously. Or just living in a neighborhood or school full of sin, or constantly being fed music and movies full of sin. There has to be some soul searching all around. The family situation has to be addressed. the Childs sinful nature has to be addressed. The church culture also has to be addressed. Was there abuse that went unchecked, unconfessed, or undisciplined? The child may need healing, prayer, deliverance. Was the child given away to a mentor or coach or teacher or minister that led them in the wrong way. That has to be addressed and confessed. The child is ultimately responsible for their actions so their rebellion has to be confronted also. As a congregation of believers you are not even supposed to eat with a fornicator that claims to be a Christian.
As far as church culture there are 2 things I can think of in the bible that lead to the spreading of sexual sin.
- a culture of performance and man-worship. Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians shows that when we allow the Greco-Roman culture of elevating mans beauty, talent, performance instead of elevating God, we create an atmosphere where perversion can grow. So churches with a stage performance culture instead of a discipleship culture can often be invaded with homosexuality because of their Greco-Roman culture.
- Wherever you have a church where sins are swept under the rug and forgiveness is overemphasized instead of discipline, confession, testimony, repentance… You have a congregation where homosexuality can sneak in. People are abused and they respond with rebellion. When things are hush-hush, forgive forgive, instead of practicing biblical church discipline and people being encouraged to tell their testimony to overcome the devil – that’s the perfect atmosphere for Satan to come in.
WHAT IS CHURCH DISCIPLINE?
Q: By discipline do you mean “sitting the individual down?” Where does confession stop and testimony begin? Should the entire church be involved? It feels like the church pushed the child right into the arms of Satan and he, (the homosexual community) was there to welcome them with open arms.
A: If someone is fornicating sometimes we have the responsibility to purge them out of the church. The bible actually teaches that there is a time to deliver them to satan so they can experience that and then come back to God hopefully when they are done.
1 Corinthians 5
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
I have a full teaching on Church Discipline that is linked here.
HAS THE BIBLE BEEN TAMPERED WITH??
Q: I’m struggling with the possibility that the Bible could have been tampered with. ONLY because if man can lie about the image of GOD and the SON of GOD just to justify slavery and there position I’m feeling like man is EVIL enough to do that…
A: Yes man can do all the evil he wants. I could write my own book and call it the bible today if I wanted too. But God can also keep all His promises. God has promised to preserve His Word. Psalm 117 says that His mercy endures forever and His truth endures to every generation.
God has the responsibility and ability to communicate to us through other people, and He inspires people to research the original texts and stay faithful to it.
Also we can know all things by the Spirit that’s inside us. Most of those extrabiblical books aren’t even anointed. They don’t fit with the Spirit of God nor are they consistent with the rest of the scriptures, nor do they testify about Jesus.
ARE WE STILL REQUIRED TO TITHE???
Q: Here’s one that I truly don’t fully understand “Tithing”. It’s preached in my present church as well as my last church; however so many teach against and teach that it’s wrong to tithe. Break it down teacher!
Q: I have a question about tithing…are we to still tithe and does Matthew 23:23 validate it? I do tithe…I’m asking because some are saying you are not required to.
A: You aren’t required to but its still wisdom to tithe. A lot of people confuse God’s laws because they think all of God’s laws are about heaven or hell, but really most of God’s laws are principles that describe how the world is supposed to work. Its wise to give the first segment of your wealth to a ministry as long as they 1. Teach the Word of God 2. Worship the true and Living God 3. Give to the poor. 4 Bring people together for these purposes.
Let me give you a couple examples on God’s law. For example you aren’t going to heaven or hell for eating bacon & shrimp or for working 7 days a week. However God knows how he designed pigs and shrimp to be bottom feeders and he knows how He designed your body for rest. So when we get diseases or parasites or heart attacks from stress… God’s laws were there to protect us. God also knows how He designed the financial world to work too.
It’s not always about heaven or hell, it’s just about God’s design. Matthew 23:23 also demonstrates how Jesus showed that tithing was not the most important part of the law, but that it was something that should not be left undone.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HEAR FROM GOD?
Q: What does it mean to hear from God and how does one know it is God who has spoken to him?
A: Hearing from God can be any way that God inspires or speaks to you. The primary ways are through the scriptures and thru creation, and through your conscience of right & wrong (Psalms 19). Another way is through dreams & visions (Job 7:14). Another way is through prayer and God giving you thoughts and pictures in your mind. Communication is a 2-way street. The only way you know its God is by time spent with Him learning His voice by scriptures and by prayer and by walking with Him and especially obeying Him. Relationships are developed over time.
HOW DO WE CELEBRATE A BABY BORN BY FORNICATION?
Q: How do we celebrate the results without celebrating the sin… Good example babies conceived during fornication. Ppl want us to celebrate, baby showers, gifts… However the conception was in sin. Many hurt girl behind this… Many leave the church calling us judgemental.
A: As far as celebrating life, it’s always good to celebrate life and rejoice with those that rejoice. We always want to show human compassion and make sure that no matter who they are, humans know that we support them with food and clothing and that they are welcome to live in peace in this world.
However, 1 Corinthians 5 gives clear instructions on not to eat with those that live in fornication that claim to be brothers and sisters in Christ. If someone leaves the church calling it judgemental, sometimes that’s okay. If they are not in repentance, it’s perfectly ok for them to leave the congregation because they are not supposed to be in it.
HOW DO I KNOW WHO TO MARRY? IS IT JUST ONE PERSON?
Q: How does one know who God wants one to marry? Is it one specific person or a type of person? Also, how much does God care about the physical attractiveness of one’s mate?
A: The only way to know who God wants you to marry is to know God and walk with Him. Sometimes God will lead you to a certain person. (He that findeth a wife.) Other times He will bring that person to you and open your eyes to see who they really are. (Genesis 2) With me I knew the type of person that God wanted me to marry because I had fasted and prayed when I was 21. However of course its only 1 person at a time that you can marry, and that’s the person that God leads you to if you walk with Him. God cares about your mates attractiveness to YOU, because that’s part of the purpose of marriage, to please your eyes (Ezekiel 24:16). God will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37).
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