The Plain Truth: World Net Daily!

The Plain Truth: World Net Daily!: I recently saw the new film United 93 . Though not a pleasant experience to view, this gripping and realistic film is a worthwhile one. ...

World Net Daily!

I recently saw the new film United 93. Though not a pleasant experience to view, this gripping and realistic film is a worthwhile one. About 15 minutes into the movie, I was not sure I wanted to relive this horrific day that is so permanently etched into our collective memories.
Though painful, it was powerful to experience this fateful day from the perspective of the passengers on United 93. You wonder if you would have been frozen with fear, or more like some of the courageous passengers like Todd Beamer, who overpowered the terrorists and sacrificed their own lives in order to save many others. You again feel the outrage we all felt the day after this horrific and brazen attack on innocent Americans.
After the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, I remember I was asked one question again and again. "Why did God allow this?" Some even suggested it was the "judgment of God." I don't agree with that.
Jesus spoke about a "current news story" of His own day, in Luke 13:4-5. A tower had apparently collapsed in Jerusalem, crushing a group of eighteen men. Referring to that local headline, Jesus asked the rhetorical question, "'Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish'" (NLT).
Did these people who died fall under some special targeted justice of God? Did they get their comeuppance because they were all notorious rebels and God-haters, and judgment fell? No, Jesus was saying that the bottom line is that people die. And here was His point: "You'd better be careful, because you might die too! You too are a sinner, and this could happen to you as well. Those people weren't any worse or better than you!"
Tragedies happen. Wars happen. Accidents happen. Illnesses happen. Cancer happens. We live in a broken, fallen world, and nobody's exempt. It could happen to me. I could get hit by a car or die in a plane crash or succumb to a heart attack-or have a tower fall on me. One out of one people on earth die! Enoch and Elijah may have dodged that final bullet, but besides these two, there are no exceptions. Lazarus may have been raised from the dead, but in a few years, he had to die all over again.
This doesn't mean that God is unfair. It doesn't mean He has singled me or anybody else out for special judgment. If I die, it just means that it was my time to leave this earth. And that time will come for everybody.
The Bible says, "It is appointed unto men once to die..." (Hebrews 9:27 KJV). One meaning of that word appointed in the original language is "reserved." You've got an advanced reservation for when you will leave this world for an eternal destination. There's a ticket with your name and time of your departure on it. That's not a gloomy, pessimistic view of life if you belong to Jesus Christ. If you're a Christian, that whole concept of inevitable death is flooded with hope! You know that when you pass from this life, you will step immediately into the majesty and radiance of the Lord's immediate presence, and live with Him forever. What's not to like about that?
Paul told his friends in Philippi, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain...yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better" (Philippians 1:21, 22-23 NKJV). You would never hear that imprisoned apostle saying, "Well, if I've got to die, then I've got to die. Not much I can do about it anyway." No, to Paul, dying meant coming out ahead in the game! Stepping out of this life into the next was the best thing he could imagine. Being in the presence of the Lord Jesus wasn't just "better," it was "far better."
The simple truth is that tragedies have wracked this planet since Adam and Eve were pushed out of the Garden of Eden, and they will continue until Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His rule of righteousness. But God in His mercy can also take the tragedies of life and use them for our good and for His eternal glory. Nothing is wasted! Not one sigh, not one tear, not one groan in our spirit.
In the book of Genesis is the dramatic story of Joseph. His wicked brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. But in what could have been the ultimate moment of payback, Joseph instead said, "'But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive'" (Genesis 50:20 NKJV).
That means God can take the most evil deed and work in spite of it. And even work through it and in it. Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (NKJV). This includes what we perceive as "good things" as well as "bad things."
It's hard for us to understand how a bad thing could ultimately work for the good of anyone. In themselves, there's certainly nothing "good" about illness, car crashes, war casualties, or terrorist attacks. But God, in His infinite wisdom and love, somehow takes all the events of our lives — both good and bad — and blends them together ultimately for our good, the good He intends for our lives.
Sometimes God can even use pain and suffering to get our attention to bring us to faith. The Psalmist wrote, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word" (Psalm 119:67 NKJV). C. S. Lewis, the Oxford scholar and author of The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world" (The Problem of Pain, 91). Sadly, for some of us, God has to use His "megaphone" in our lives. It's the only thing that will get our attention.
I was a guest on Larry King Live a while back, and the discussion turned to the very topic I am addressing in this article. I told Larry King about a lady who had come to our church one Sunday morning after discovering she had breast cancer. She had seen our television program and wanted to find out how to get right in her relationship with God. The Lord had allowed this tragedy to get her attention. Larry interrupted me and asked, "How do you know it's not a crutch? I mean, I have breast cancer; I’ve got to pray to something."
I responded, "Thank God for that crutch. Larry, He's not a crutch to me; He's a whole hospital."
Larry smiled and said, "Good line!" Then he turned to his director and said, "Write that down." But it wasn't a line. It was the truth. The gospel truth.

The Plain Truth: God's Plan for the Gay Agenda!

The Plain Truth: God's Plan for the Gay Agenda!: If you've been watching the headlines over the last couple years, you may have noticed the incredible surge of interest in affirming ...

God's Plan for the Gay Agenda!

If you've been watching the headlines over the last couple years, you may have noticed the incredible surge of interest in affirming homosexuality. Whether it's at the heart of a religious scandal, political corruption, radical legislation, or the redefinition of marriage, homosexual interests have come to characterize America. That's an indication of the success of the gay agenda. And some Christians, including some national church leaders, have wavered on the issue even recently. But sadly, when people refuse to acknowledge the sinfulness of homosexuality — calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20) — they do so at the expense of many souls.
How should you respond to the success of the gay agenda? Should you accept the recent trend toward tolerance? Or should you side with those who exclude homosexuals with hostility and disdain?
In reality, the Bible calls for a balance between what some people think are two opposing reactions — condemnation and compassion. Really, the two together are essential elements of biblical love, and that's something the homosexual sinner desperately needs.
Homosexual advocates have been remarkably effective in selling their warped interpretations of passages in Scripture that address homosexuality. When you ask a homosexual what the Bible says about homosexuality — and many of them know — they have digested an interpretation that is not only warped, but also completely irrational. Pro-homosexual arguments from the Bible are nothing but smokescreens — as you come close, you see right through them.

God's condemnation of homosexuality is abundantly clear — He opposes it in every age.
- In the patriarchs (Genesis 19:1-28)
- In the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13)
- In the Prophets (Ezekiel 16:46-50)
- In the New Testament (Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Jude 7-8)
Why does God condemn homosexuality? Because it overturns God's fundamental design for human relationships — a design that pictures the complementary relationship between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33).
Why, then, have homosexual interpretations of Scripture been so successful at persuading so many? Simple: people want to be convinced. Since the Bible is so clear about the issue, sinners have had to defy reason and embrace error to quiet their accusing consciences (Romans 2:14-16). As Jesus said, "Men loved the darkness rather than the Light, [because] their deeds were evil" (John 3:19-20).
As a Christian, you must not compromise what the Bible says about homosexuality — ever. No matter how much you desire to be compassionate to the homosexual, your first sympathies belong to the Lord and to the exaltation of His righteousness. Homosexuals stand in defiant rebellion against the will of their Creator who from the beginning "made them male and female" (Matthew 19:4).
Don't allow yourself to be intimidated by homosexual advocates and their futile reasoning — their arguments are without substance. Homosexuals, and those who advocate that sin, are fundamentally committed to overturning the lordship of Christ in this world. But their rebellion is useless, for the Holy Spirit says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; cf. Galatians 5:19-21).

So, what is God's response to the homosexual agenda?
Certain and final judgment. To claim anything else is to compromise the truth of God and deceive those who are perishing.
As you interact with homosexuals and their sympathizers, you must affirm the Bible's condemnation. You are not trying to bring damnation on the head of homosexuals, you are trying to bring conviction so that they can turn from that sin and embrace the only hope of salvation for all of us sinners — and that's through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Homosexuals need salvation. They don't need healing — homosexuality is not a disease. They don't need therapy — homosexuality is not a psychological condition. Homosexuals need forgiveness, because homosexuality is a sin.
I don't know how it happened, but a few decades ago someone branded homosexuals with the worst misnomer — "gay." Gay used to mean happy, but I can assure you, homosexuals are not happy people. They habitually seek happiness by following after destructive pleasures. There is a reason Romans 1:26 calls homosexual desire a "degrading passion." It is a lust that destroys the physical body, ruins relationships, and brings perpetual suffering to the soul — and its ultimate end is death (Romans 7:5). Homosexuals are experiencing the judgment of God (Romans 1:24, 26, 28), and thus they are very, very sad.
1 Corinthians 6 is very clear about the eternal consequence for those who practice homosexuality — but there's good news. No matter what the sin is, whether homosexuality or anything else, God has provided forgiveness, salvation, and the hope of eternal life to those who repent and embrace the gospel. Right after identifying homosexuals as those who "will not inherit the kingdom of God," Paul said, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).
God's plan for many homosexuals is that they come to salvation. There were former homosexuals in the Corinthian church back in Paul's day, just as there are many former homosexuals today in my church and in faithful churches around the country. With regenerated hearts, they sit in biblical churches throughout the country praising their Savior, along with former fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, coveters, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers. Remember, such were some of you too.
What should be your response to the homosexual agenda? Make it a biblical response — confront it with the truth of Scripture that condemns homosexuality and promises eternal damnation for all who practice it. What should be your response to the homosexual? Make it a gospel response — confront him with the truth of Scripture that condemns him as a sinner, and point him to the hope of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Stay faithful to the Lord as you respond to homosexuality by honoring His Word, and leave the results to Him.

The Plain Truth: Living an Authentic Life!

The Plain Truth: Living an Authentic Life!: Christians have always been world changers, and our influence has shaped society for two thousand years. Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852), ...

Living an Authentic Life!

Christians have always been world changers, and our influence has shaped society for two thousand years. Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852), for example, was the son of a Lutheran pastor who often helped his dad in the family garden. As a young man, his Christian beliefs convinced him that children need to learn about God and His world at an early age. Friedrich imagined a school for young children that would allow their minds to be cultivated like a horticulturist tending a garden. He called his idea a Child’s Garden. Because of him, children have been going to Kindergarten for the last 150 years.

In the early 1800s, a Christian named Thomas Gallaudet sailed for Europe to study methods for educating deaf children. He told one girl, “I hope when I come back to teach you much about the Bible, and about God, and Christ.” In 1817, he opened America’s first school for the deaf.

It’s Christians who have established hospitals, started schools, begun orphanages, reformed prisons, emancipated women, abolished slavery, inspired charities, founded hospitals, clothed the naked, fed the hungry, treated the diseased, encouraged the addicted, and housed the homeless.

The Bible tells us to share the Gospel with the lost. It also tells us to bear the burdens of the needy. James said, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (1:27).

We declare Christ’s love with our mouths, but we demonstrate it with our muscles.
How can we roll up our sleeves, strain our muscles, and sweat out some kindness for Jesus’ sake? The simplest answer is the oldest one: Find a need and fill it. Ask God to show you a specific cause and to empower you in meeting that need.

• Do you know someone facing chemotherapy who could use someone to drive them to and from the hospital on the day of treatment?
• Is there a single mother in your neighborhood needing help with lawn mowing or yard work?
• What about volunteering at your local school or hospital? Or visiting a local nursing home to chat with the elderly, pray with the lonely, and perhaps to organize visits by children’s choirs or choral groups?
• If there’s a homeless shelter or soup kitchen in your area, consider offering your time on a regular basis.
• Establish a family tradition of taking a basket of groceries by a needy home every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter . . . or once a month!
• Consider taking a missions trip to help build a church, give immunizations, teach VBS, or renovate an orphanage overseas.
• Volunteer to teach English as a second language in your church or community.
• Donate books to the local prison, linens to the local rescue mission, or tutoring time to the local school.

Our Lord stressed the priority of rolled-up sleeves in the conclusion of His Olivet Discourse in Matthew 25, telling us of the day when the Son of Man will come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him. The nations will be gathered before Him, and He will say to those on His right hand: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (verses 34-36).

His sheep will say to Him, “Lord, when did we do these things for You?”

Our Lord’s reply is short and sweet: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (verse 40).

We may not be able to travel the world and help millions of people. We may not single-handedly open schools, orphanages, or great charitable institutions. But we can all roll up our sleeves, pitch in, help out, and become the hands of Jesus that others might discover the heart of Jesus. That’s the authentic life; and it is part of our commission, too, for we must always remember that as we do it unto the least of these His brothers, we are doing it unto Him.