Daily Devotional for Tuesday December 2, 2014
A World and Church in Rebellion to God and His Truth - Part Two
(John 15:18)
A WORLD AND CHURCH IN REBELLION TO GOD AND HIS TRUTH! (PART TWO OF TWO)
"If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you." John 15:18
Two glaring examples of a world and church in rebellion to God and His Truth! Yesterday in Part One, was an example of the depth of the hatred towards God by our culture. If you missed it, please read it here at: http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=5774 Today in Part Two, is a sad example of why the church is so weak, ineffective, and powerless!!!
Over these last two days, I have been trying to WAKE YOU UP to the level of vitriol and hatred in this nation to God, Jesus, the Bible, and Christians! Sadly, this rebellion is not just coming from the world outside of Christianity, but also from the church, the bride of Christ, that is playing a huge role in the spiritual abyss this nation finds itself in.
I understand most people are out living their lives, doing their best each day to simply take care of their life, the lives of their immediate family, and simply don't have the time to really see the depths of how far from God this nation really is. Satan depends upon people not paying attention, living in their own little world, and not having much discernment or practice at seeing with spiritual "eyes" and hearing with spiritual "ears."
I can say that because after writing this Daily Devotional every morning for 183 months now, having tried to wake people up, having tried to expose the level of rebellion to God and the apathy of the church that exists today, I Still get tons of emails from people who think I am making things up! I get accused often of saying things just to upset people. Yet over time, sadly everything I have tried to warn you about in advance, told you would happen if people didn't take a stand and speak up, has come to pass.
Back on September 22nd of this year, I shared a powerful word about the final 100 days of this year. Here is a link to that Devotional: http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=5703 We are now into the final month, the final 30 days of 2014, and as turbulent as these final days will be, I also believe that it is in these final days of this year we actually see a nation hurting to the point it will truly begin looking for REAL hope and REAL answers.
WE KNOW THE ONLY REAL HOPE AND REAL ANSWER FOR EACH PERSON AND FOR THIS NATION IS TO TURN TO JESUS AND GOD'S TRUTH AS FOUND IN THE BIBLE!!! THIS IS THE MOMENT FOR WHICH GOD RAISED UP THIS MINISTRY 22 YEARS AGO AND HAS SUSTAINED US ONLINE THE PAST 15+ YEARS AND ON TV FOR NEARLY 12 YEARS!
Sadly, the church, God's agent of change in this world, has become like the 7 churches we read about in Revelation. Instead of standing up to a Godless culture, we have caved in. Instead of boldly proclaiming the Truth to combat the lies of this world, we choose to ignore those lies destroying lives and our nation. Instead, we focus on the temporal things of this world, money, buildings, the "wood, hay, and stubble" that will one day burn up. Instead of the church changing the culture, the culture has changed the church!!!
If you need a more glaring example of how lost the church is today, just take such a black and white issue as the sin of homosexuality and gay marriage.
"When their 12-year-old son Ryan said he was gay, they told him they loved him, but he had to change. He entered 'reparative therapy,' met regularly with his pastor and immersed himself in Bible study and his church youth group. After six years, nothing changed. A despondent Ryan cut off from his parents and his faith, started taking drugs and in 2009, died of an overdose. 'Now we realize we were so wrongly taught,' said Rob Robertson, a firefighter for more than 30 years who lives in Redmond, Washington. 'It's a horrible, horrible mistake the church has made.' The tragedy could have easily driven the Robertsons from the church. But instead of breaking with evangelicalism - as many parents in similar circumstances have done - the couple is taking a different approach, and they're inspiring other Christians with gay children to do the same. They are staying in the church and, in protesting what they see as the demonization of their sons and daughters, presenting a new challenge to Christian leaders trying to hold off growing acceptance of same-sex relationships."
Having dealt with thousands of parents in a similar situation over the years, my heart goes out to them. Sadly their church let them and their son down in their hour of greatest need. Reparative therapy is a SCAM since it accepts the lie that a person can be "born gay." People who engage in perverted sex with others of the same sex aren't born that way, it is a CHOICE!
A person who engages in such sexual perversion is no different than any other addict whether their bondage is alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, or other types of perverted sex. Nobody who chooses to engage in same-sex relationships should be demonized, just like drug addicts and alcoholics shouldn't be demonized, they need to be helped to find freedom from their bondage!
"James Brownson, a New Testament scholar at Western Theological Seminary, a Michigan school affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, last year published the book 'Bible, Gender, Sexuality,' advocating a re-examination of what Scripture says about same-sex relationships. His son came out at age 18."
"The Rev. Danny Cortez, pastor of New Heart Community Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in California, was already moving toward recognizing same-sex relationships when his teenage son came out. When Cortez announced his changed outlook to his congregation this year, they voted to keep him. The national denomination this fall cut ties with the church."
"Matthew Vines, author of 'God and the Gay Christian,' has attracted more than 810,000 views on YouTube for a 2012 lecture he gave challenging the argument that Scripture bars same-sex relationships."
"Some evangelical leaders seem to recognize the need for a new approach. The head of the Southern Baptist public policy arm, the Rev. Russell Moore, addressed the issue on his blog and at the marriage conference last month, telling Christian parents they shouldn't shun their gay children. Moore has said he expects some evangelical churches to eventually recognize same-sex relationships, but not in significant numbers."
" 'I think at some point moms and dads are going to say to their pastors and church leadership that you can't tell me that my child is not loved unconditionally by God,' said Susan Shopland, the daughter of a Presbyterian missionary who, along with her gay son, is active with the Gay Christian Network."
You can write all the books you want, make all of the YouTube videos you want, it, nothing is going to change that God calls homosexuality a sin from Genesis through Revelation. People can change their minds on this issue, but God has not or ever will change His! Rather than take a stand for God's Truth, the church is caving in to a culture in all-out rebellion to God and His Truth!
Taking a Biblical stand on what God calls a sin is not shunning those who are in bondage to this sin. NOBODY has ever said the child of a parent in bondage to homosexuality is not loved by God. Just the opposite. CHRIST LOVES EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE SINNER! HE DOES NOT LOVE SIN NO MATTER WHAT THAT SIN IS!!!
Lastly, there is no such thing as a "gay Christian." A person who is a Christian is someone who has given their heart and life to Jesus by faith. It also means you have surrendered your life to Christ. Jesus said "if you love me you will obey me." That means the Bible! It is 100% INCONSISTENT with the salvation experience to accept Christ by faith, give your life to the Lord, and turn around and live in complete rebellion to Christ and His Word!
I love you and care about you so much. I guess you can simply read this and shake your head and keep going through your day. You may not think this affects you in any way, but the fact is, it is simply a furtherance of the breaking down of our culture and advancing the spiritual decay of our nation. When the church is so compromised on an issue of blatant sin, is it any wonder why this nation is in the spiritual freefall it is in?
That is why I ask you daily to pray for me and ask you to do what you can to help me. NOBODY with a major platform online and TV is telling people about these things. NOBODY with a major platform online and TV is calling the body of Christ to come together as one in these final days and help lead this nation back to God and His Truth. The vision of the vast majority of ministries and churches is limited to the self- perpetuation of their work.
Liveprayer has faithfully done above and beyond what any local church or major ministry does for the past 15+ years as we bring God's Truth literally every day to the masses worldwide, pray for the apx 40,000 people who come to us every 24 hours with needs in their lives, have led just over 900,000 souls we know of to faith in Christ over these past 183 months.
In addition, we purposely reach the lost masses in the marketplace each day through the internet and our TV program bringing God's Truth to the issues of the day and life to people who don't go to church, many never have, and who churches and ministries don't bother to reach out to since they are not the "target audience" since most won't give them any money!
This is why I ask you to make the sacrifce to help me. Not so I can accumulate the wealth of this world, but to simply keep the proven ministry infrastructure we have in place to do the work God has called us to. Will you place take YOUR stand today with me and pray about what sacrifce you can make to help me? Less than 1/4 of 1% of those we minister to each day for FREE have EVER given a dime to God's work here. If this ministry has blessed you, would you please pray about helping me so we can continue to be a blessing to others. Never forget, it is the FEW who feed the MANY! God Bless you!!!
***NOVEMBER FINANCIAL UPDATE: We ended November still requiring the final $28,000 for our basic internet operations and the $25,000 required for the Liveprayer TV program during November. Monday, we had $2,000 of donations come in leaving our shortfall at $51,000. I am standing in faith we can take care of that shortfall before the end of this week so we can begin to work on the $40,000 we require for our December internet operations and the $25,000 for the Liveprayer TV program in December. OUR GOD IS ABLE! PLEASE PRAY AND PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP ME TODAY AND THROUGH THE WEEK!!!
*As a note, $18,000 of our November internet operations are now past due! It is CRITICAL that we cover that $18,000 operations immediately! I am asking for one or two of our friends God has blessed to pray about allowing Him to use you today to help me with a special year-end gift to insure this $18,000 is taken care of today !!! IF YOU CAN BE ONE OF THOSE I NEED TODAY TO INSURE THIS CRITICAL NEED IS MET PLEASE CONTACT ME AT: bkeller@liveprayer.com
--->With just 31 days left in the year, please pray about a special one-time year-end gift of $1,000 or more to help me insure Liveprayer continues to be a beacon of light to so many each day! Just 51 people making that special sacrifce would cover our November shortfall,and 116 people would insure we end the year with 100% of our basic internet and TV operations current!!!
If you can't do that, simply "give as you are able to give" as the Bible teaches! Many will be getting a year-end bonus. Some of you have recently sold a home, some property, a business, stocks, or something else. Please pray about sending a portion of those funds to help God's work here at Liveprayer!!!
TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller