Im anxious to revive our “One week in the Word” series for the serious lovers of the Word of the Lord. I hope that’s everybody.

In case you dont know it will be a full seven days of as much goodness, glory and grace of the Word of God as we can get into. A word feast! There will be no gay christian stories, scandal beatdowns or hot rebukes of the goats. Just the beauty of the Word.

Check out one of my favorites from the last time.

We’ll commence the series on August 8th-15th. Get your bible and be here! Until then here’s a little inspiration.

So they’re back. And sweeter than ever.

Gay choirs are back in the running for Verizon’s capitalistic cash cow How Sweet the Sound. How you ask?

Because HSTS is owned by a secular, pluralistic company whose bottom line is money, there can be no restrictions on who can participate. It can be the Black Temple Church of Satan Mass Choir or Black Temple Church of God in Christ Mass Choir. To Verizon Wireless, they’re all the same. Qualifications per Verizon:

The Choir must have a meaningful and consistent relationship with a church, temple, mosque or other similar religious organization (the “Religious Organization”). The Religious Organization must be a tax-exempt organization as described under sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and must have a tax-exempt ID number; (our italics).

Please also understand that a great majority of gospel music isn’t what it labels itself to be. Its like a jar labeled as jelly but inside its glue. However they need the name to deceive the shallow-minded. Its money driven.

Last year we reported to you that HSTS judge Dorinda Clark Cole advanced a St Louis based homosexual choir from the Metropolitan Community Church denomination to the competition’s semifinals.

This year, the same choir is back again.  With all the blasphemous vomit spewed out by this denomination time and time again, you would think that somebody with a slither of integrity would protest their inclusion. But not so. The lust for money and fame has attracted greedy, ignorant churches lined up once again to “praise the Lord”. And if its any consolation, we can’t single out any denomination. Churches from a smorgasboard of denominations have got on the grind to win the cash prizes and fame for their pastor.

No Light

There is absolutely no way light and darkness can co-exist physically or naturally. They are polar opposites of each other with nothing in common. The same can be said spiritually.

I  have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.  John 12:46

And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

So what does Marvin Sapp, Hezekiah Walker, Dorinda Clark Cole, CeCe Winans and other celebrity gospel music industry workers not understand about that undeniable truth? To be blunt, satan’s kingdom is characterized by darkness and God’s kingdom is characterized by light. So Marv, Hez, DCC and CeCe are you saying its okay for the two to mix to sing gospel music? How can the blind sing of a glorious light they have never seen? How is it possible to praise a God whose sexual standards you reject? How can you approve and participate in such things knowing the judgment of God against them?

Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer.

Joining the MCC choir is the “85% gay”  Tabernacle Baptist Church and the metaphysical, “new thought”, gay affirming church Hillside Chapel of Truth both in Atlanta.

You can see a list of all the churches involved here. Oh, how ironically sweet it is.

Actor, comedian, author, and radio personality Steve Harvey made an appearance on the Trinity Broadcast Network’s (TBN) show, Praise the Lord.  Airing May 11th, 2010 with Paula White as the host, Harvey talked about his book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” He specifically discussed the “90 day rule.” This rule tells women to put a man on probation before giving away any “benefits.” Harvey went on to state that he knows that the Bible says a person should wait until s/he gets married to have sex and he agrees with that whole-heartedly.  But he states that since people are not going to wait until marriage to have sex, they should at least wait for 90 days.  Paula White wholeheartedly agreed with him and didn’t correct him at all!  The crowd laughed in agreement.  The Bible warns us in Jude 18-19, “How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”

First, this interview is disturbing because it takes place on Christian television!  It would have been somewhat acceptable if it were aired on a secular station or radio show.  The nature of Harvey’s statement would have been more understandable and expected.  We as believers could have just passed his statements off as worldly wisdom with a roll of the eyes upward.

Secondly, his statement boldly goes against the Word of God. God doesn’t grade sin on a curve.  He doesn’t look at certain situations and say “…ok I’ll let you slide by on that one because you can’t help yourself.”  This is a prime example of cheap grace.   God is a holy God.  The Word says, “Be ye holy for I am Holy.” (Leviticus 11:45).

Harvey’s book may make some good points for women. But is his book’s wisdom of God or earthly? James 3:15 says, “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but earthly, sensual, devilish.” The book my offer some good advice for women to follow, but telling them they can’t abstain from fornication is earthly, sensual, and downright demonic.  His advice is within the guidelines of the world system. Godly wisdom within the kingdom of God falls under James 3:17 which says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”  When a person walks in the wisdom of God, they will first be pure, have good fruit.  The good fruit a person shows from abstaining from fornication will manifest as two parts of the fruit of the Spirit:  longsuffering (endurance and patience) and temperance( having control or mastery over one’s desires or passions).

The ironic part of this interview was Harvey began to sound like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He basically tells others what the Word of God says and agrees with it, “Abstain from sex before marriage!”  But then slyly adds, “hardly any Christians keep the Word of God anyway.  So since we all know you’re not going to abstain, its okay to do it…just wait 90 days until you do.”  He speaks as if the Word has loopholes in it. These types of comments are just like those of the serpent when he told Eve that she would be as gods (Genesis 3:5) deciding for herself what is good and evil instead of leaning on understanding of the Word of God and keeping His Word. This type of nature is rooted in Satanism. Aleister Crowley’s, Book of the Law states “Do as thou wilt, is the whole book of the law, which means I can do as I please and I don’t have to line up with the Word of God.” Even in Anton Lavey nine satanic commandments of the Satanic Bible, the first commandment is that Satan represents indulgences instead of abstinence. First Thessalonians 4:3 states, “For this the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.”  The key word is to abstain from fornication, not to indulge in fornication by giving a man sexual benefits after a 90-day probation period.  This is outside the will of God.

One may ask Shofarsound what is the big deal? It just fornication! God understands I have needs that must be met.  Everybody in my church is having sex and they aren’t married.  They still sing in the choir.  They’re preaching.  They’re teaching.  They’re still serving on the usher board. Does that mean you follow the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13)? If everyone jumps off the bridge are you going jump also? I don’t think so!

Biblical View on Fornication

The Old Testament viewed premarital sex as a capital offense against one’s future spouse. This was unlike the Gentile nations that condoned premarital sex. The Greek word for fornication is porneuo, which means to act like a harlot, indulge in unlawful lust of either sex, or practice idolatry – fornication. Fornication is idolatry, because that person you sleep with isn’t your spouse.  You’re bowing down to get in the bed with your idol instead of obeying the Word of God.   It is idolatry when an individual places a person they’re consistently fornicating with over the Word.  First Samuel 15:23 states, “stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

That person you’re sleeping with is an idol in your heart and it is evident that the Holy Spirit doesn’t reign supreme in your life. Every time that person calls you jump up and run to him/her.  The next thing you know, you’re in the sack.   The Holy Spirit calls out to you in order to lead and guide you into all truth.  That person means no good for your spirituality.  Instead of listening, you turn a deaf ear to the voice of Godly wisdom.

First Corinthians 6:18-20 says, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”   Our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. When you fornicate you desecrate your temple.  You sin against your own body. If you continue in the sin of fornication you will die.  Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death.  You may eventually earn a sexually transmitted disease that attacks your physical body.

Fornication Destroys the Soul

Sexual sins destroys the soul (Proverbs 6:32). The Greek word for soul is called psuche, which derives psychology study of the soul. Your soul is made up of the intellect, will, memory, emotions, and imagination. First example your involve in fornication, Your intellect or reasoning will tell you that you’re in love with him or her so its ok to have sex before marriage.  You essentially rely on your own understanding instead of the Word of God.  Secondly, after you intellectualize being in a sexual relationship your will is given unto your carnal desires. Thirdly, you will have memories of the good and bad things of the illicit relationship. Why do you think someone can be in the act of intercourse with one person and call out another person’s name? It is because the soul connection of the memory is still there.  The person is comparing their present sexual experience with a former.  The fourth example is the emotions.  You develop the emotion of bitterness.  Because of your memory, you remember all the bad relationships you had in the past.  A person develops bitterness and emotional detachment. So when man or woman of God comes to you, your’re damage goods from all the bad relationships you had in the past.  You’re unable to make that godly connection. Lastly is the imagination.  The enemy uses the imagination to keep sexual perverse thoughts in your head and to prevent you from being obedient to the will of God.

So whether 90 days or 20 years, if you’re not married you need to abstain from fornication. We all must keep in mind that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19-21). Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  Keep His commandments and the Holy Spirit will give you keeping power to overcome the devil, the world, and your flesh.  So will you listen to the Word of God or Steve Harvey?

Another must see and hear to believe it video courtesy of  homosexual christian clerics.

Have you been under the impression that gay christians love, revere, worship, honor, serve, obey and follow the Jesus of the Bible? If you have, you couldn’t have been more wrong.  In fact I would say that the “Jesus” they speak of is but an idol of their own imagination, crafted by the dark recesses of their minds. The Christ, who came expressly to die and deliver us from the penalty and curse of sin is mocked and demeaned by those who call themselves by his name.

After watching this video (a little over 10 minutes) of a gaggle of clergy from the Metropolitan Community Church (a homosexual christian denomination), it reminded me of Bill Clinton’s 1998 defense statement when he said “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.”

Listen to these gay christian “theologians” discuss what believing in Jesus means to them. Or rather what believing in Jesus doesn’t mean to them.

The panel sets the stage by defining their brand of religion as more akin to Jesus because everything is always in flux. There are no absolutes and there are no imaginative boundaries for followers of Christ. In their logic, man is smart enough —and has a high self worth— without the bible to determine what is right and good for us.

I pulled out a few of the more stunning statements for your review. Keep in mind these are people who are demanding to be accepted as equals (brothers and sisters in Christ).

The Rev. Durrell Watkins (the church’s senior pastor) refers to Jesus as some type of voodoo doll he has purchased.

“I as a progressive Christian have set my heart on Jesus so yes I believe in Jesus…and that means that Jesus for me is a symbol and a figure that I am constantly working with, exploring, playing with and so how that impacts me, how that influences my life is going to change over time. But because I have set my heart on Jesus Ive made Jesus a primary symbol to work with…”

A symbol to play with? Professing themselves wise, they have become fools.

Rev. Nikki Bailey sees Jesus dying for the sins of humanity is  something akin to a humorous fairy tale.

“I would say that belief in Jesus would be belief in all the questions and all of the seeking and all of the possibility that Jesus represents. I would agree with Durrell not necessarily believing about Jesus all of the things or I was taught in the tradition I was raised in, not necessarily that Jesus died for my sins., which is fine if that’s where you are… (all laugh) But for me it would be believing that all the things that Jesus represented through his life and all of the questions that arrive from that and all of the commitments that I need to make to justice and peace and loving my neighbor is a part of what that belief is.”

I was wrong. From there it gets progressively worse. The gay christian ministers go on to reject the significance of the death of Christ because they possess a “high anthropology”. Thus, they have no need for Jesus to save them although, as the man says, they do have high regard for Jesus.

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. The theology of the homosexual christian movement is diametrically opposed to literally every fundamental teaching of our faith.  This is the very nature of satan who wraps himself in an angelic facade and presents himself as one who is focused on love and peace.

More on MCC ministers and their perverted view of Jesus:

• Thieves, robbers and perverts in the MCC
• MCC clerics demonize Jesus
• MCC minister imagines Jesus in love

“I’m coming to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as a brother, a friend and co-laborer in the gospel. I’d like to start by thanking you all for your love, prayers and support. For every one that has been wondering where I’ve been, I say with all sincerity that I have been at the foot of the cross, seeking the heart of God, reprioritizing, realigning myself with Him and reuniting with my wife, family and friends.

I have sought forgiveness from my wife Nicole Lambert for breaking my vows and the covenant that I made before God, abdicating my responsibility as the priest of my home and forsaking my responsibility as a husband and a father.

I owe more than an apology to my two daughters Carlise Jackson and Summer Lambert. I would never want a man to do to them what I did to their mother. In this area I have been an example of what not to be. I am saddened and deeply shamed by my actions.

To my personal ministry team, I realize that my actions have compromised the integrity of our mission and call but I am so grateful that you have forgiven me and I am looking forward to how the Lord is rebuilding us as a community and will use that to minister healing to His people and the world at large. ” [full statement]

God bless this young man and those who are directing him back to restoration. I read the entire statement and there was no obfuscating or word play to make him look good. There was no casting blame and “you who are without sin” sermonizing.  Like a man of God he bowed down and confessed his own sins. The reason I call it true repentance is because true repentance is never face-saving. And true repentance is evidenced by obedience to the process of restoration.

I want to say openly to Emanuel:  God is pleased with your humility, submission and your willingness to openly repent for what you have done. Like probably a lot of people who didnt know you personally, it hurts and is disappointing to hear of a brother’s sin, especially one so promising. Yet, obeying what the scriptures tell us to do when we sin is not punishment but a glorious testimony.  I don’t know if you will read this but I’d like to share with you a couple of scriptures that tell us the benefits of repentance.

1.  Repentance proves that you love and know Christ 1 John 2:1-5

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

2.  God promises that he will respond to our repentance with overwhelming grace 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I look forward to you getting back in your place and letting God take you to a higher plain.  To every other young man who is been tempted by sexual sin, heed the words of David:

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Psalms 119:9

Even now in the 21st century in the church, we have some “preachers gone wild.”  They are generally driven by the lust for fame, sex, and money. Unfortunately, today in the church world integrity, morality, humility, and anointing take a back seat to showmanship, talent, pride, and those who can draw big crowds and money.  They look to be “Sunday’s best” by being the hottest preacher or singer instead of living holy every day of the week and presenting their bodies to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God which is their reasonable service (Romans12:1).

In the last couple of years there have been scandals of pastors caught in immorality. Why is this? The American church has been caught in the trap of pursuing the most popular, crowd-commanding preacher to put it on the map instead of  praying and seeking the face of God to see if the Holy Spirit has endorsed the preacher or not (Acts 13:1-3).  For the most part it seems like churches are not trying to build the kingdom of God through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, but through devilish sensual earthly wisdom (James 3:15).

These scandals of immorality on the pulpit range from adulterous affairs, to sexual assaults against female members, even murder. Believe me, the Catholic Church is not the only church that has its sex scandals of molestation.  Pentecostal and Charismatic( among other Christian denominations) circles have been touched heavily by sexual immorality also.

Just recently, like something written out of a soap opera, Houston pastor Tracy Bernard Burleson of the First New Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas was accused of killing his wife. Police state that Burleson paid his 20 year old stepson, William Darnnell Fuller, to kill his stepmother Pauletta Ross Burleson. Mrs. Burleson was found dead from a single gunshot that pierced her head and neck. Along with the arrest of Pastor Burleson and William Fuller, a third person, Tyonne Marie Palmer-Pollard, was arrested for tampering with evidence. Palmer-Pollard was having an affair with both Pastor Burleson and William Fuller at the same time. Also to note, before being murdered, Mrs. Burleson was aware of the multiple affairs her husband had with other women. Both Pastor Burleson and his stepson Fuller are being held without bail. Fuller has already confessed to the murder.

In the last couple of years, there have been other preachers who have made the dishonorable mention list of preachers gone wild.  A few are: Terry Hornbuckle, Sherman Allen, Anthony Hopkins, Sergio Alvarizares, Ted Haggard, and Paul Cain.

On August 28, 2006 Terry Hornbuckle, pastor of the mega-church Agape Christian Fellowship Church in Arlington, Texas was con­victed of raping and drugging three women.  Two of these women were members of Hornbuckle church. Not only was it found that Hornbuckle was a rapist, but that he also smoked meth. He even smoked meth with one of his victims, drugged her then raped her! He ended up receiving a fifteen year prison sentence. Hornbuckle before being exposed publicly received counseling privately from several ministers in the area. One of the ministers was Pastor Sherman Allen of Shiloh Institutional Church of God in Christ in Fort Worth, TX.   It can be said that Allens’ counseling Hornbuckle was a bad idea.  Allen has been accused of assaulting women and sexually abusing them. How can somebody that has same perverse spirit lead someone else to deliverance? This is hypocrisy and an abomination before the eye’s of the Lord!  Thirty five women accused Allen of beating them with a pad­dle.  Some even said that this paddling turned into sexual abuse.  The presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop Charles Blake, suspended Allen because of this.  However, despite being suspended by Bishop Blake, Allen has continued to pastor his church and has changed the name of the church to Shiloh Institutional Church and has dropped the “Church of God in Christ” at the end. 

Allegations of abuse go all the way back to 1983 for Allen. Lawsuits have been filed against him with criminal charges pending.  Yet, he continues to pastor like nothing ever happened and is still unaccount­able to leadership.  Its business as usual with his church and some of the big name preachers still run to his conferences despite his “major character flaws and issues.”  

In Portland Oregon, October 2007, police arrested Pastor Sergio Alvarizares for allegedly sexually abusing eight women in his con­gregation. Alvarizares was held on one account of rape in the first degree, two accounts of attempted rape in the first degree, and ten accounts of sex abuse in the first degree. He was later sentence to three years of prison in June 2008, after pleading guilty to attempted rape and third degree sexual abuse of sexually assaulting five women.

The next preacher to commit heinous acts of sexual immorality and murder is Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins a traveling evangelist (some had consider him a prophet) from Alabama.  He was arrested by police during a revival at Inspirational Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Jackson, Alabama for the murder of his wife. Anthony Hopkins killed his wife after she caught him having sex with a teenage relative in 2004. He eventually stuffed his wife’s body in a freezer.  It wasn’t until 2008 that his step-daughter led the police to her mother’s body. On May 21, 2010 Hopkins was sentence to life in prison , he was convicted for murder, sodomy, and sexual abuse.

 Male church leaders not only get caught up with women, but with sleeping with other men. In 2006 Ted Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church, a mega church in Colorado Springs, Colorado was ex­posed when he was caught having an affair with a male prostitute. Paul Cain, a noted Prophet, was exposed in 2004 engaging in long-term homosexual activity.

These problems are prevalent because of the lack of accountability, discernment, spiritual fatherhood and mentoring, and lack of correc­tion. Pride, arrogance, prayerlessness, the love of money and the lack of a repentant heart is causing preachers to go wild in sin.

No one can take glory for somebody falling into sin.  We are one body in Christ.  Therefore, when a leader blatantly sins against God it affects the whole body, brings a reproach, and profanes the name of the Lord.  As saints of God we must strive to be a positive witness so that our light might shine in a dark world.

Let us keep this in mind: if we have not fallen, it is only by the grace of God.  Through humility He gives us the grace to live a victorious lifestyle in Him (James 4:6-7).  Preachers let us take our eyes off popularity and fame, and keep them on Jesus Christ who is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24).

Remember, His grace is sufficient to keep us saved, and not go wild! 

 Related articles:

• Sherman Allen/COGIC sexual abuse trial looms
• Pastors and Adultery
• Southern Baptists screen out sexual predators

False teachers and prophets are spiritual murderers because they affect the well-being of a person’s eternal soul by leading him or her away from the Word of God.   There are two dangerous false teachings:  The Gospel of Inclusion and Pro-gay Theology.  As 1 Timothy 4:1 would put it, they are doctrine of devils and people give heed to these seducing spirits every day.  Ignatius in the 2^nd century A.D. said, “I urge you…keep away from every strange plant, which is heresy. These people, while pretending to be trustworthy, mix Jesus Christ with poison…I am guarding you in advance because you are very dear to me and I foresee the snares of the devil (Letters to the Trallians 6-8).” Just think of it this way: Carlton Pearson and Yvette Flunder are among those who teach these types of heresies and they are guilty of Ezekiel 3:18.  They do not act as true watchmen of God that warn the wicked of their iniquity.  They make the unsaved believe that they are really saved.  Any person who believes or follows such teaching runs the risk of eternal damnation and receiving the “second death” or separation from Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 21:8).

Just imagine a whole congregation that follows false teachings!  If they believe the teaching until their death, never receive the full revelation of the lie, and never repent for believing the lie, they are spiritually dead.  The false teacher has performed spiri­tual murder.   The congregation is deceived into believing a lie and the result is eternal death.

First and foremost, saints of God should always follow the Word of God over their favorite icon preacher or teacher. Deu­teronomy 13:1-4 says,

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him..”

Consider the following: Church folks often tell others that the prophet of the Lord told them that a check was coming in the mail because the Word said that their blessings would be pressed down, shaken together and running over.  However, the prophet who told them that didn’t line up with the Word of God.  They didn’t study.  They didn’t receive a revelation from God.  Instead, the word the prophet spoke was just some new wild revelation they received through their own flesh. The sad truth is that people eat this poison of unbiblical preaching and teaching, and will fight over what these false ministers have said as being the Truth.  Unfortunately, they are unable to see the death of false teaching in the pot ( 2 Kings 4:40). They would rather eat death than the life-giving Word of God.

Regrettably, people follow the voice of there favorite preacher or teacher instead of the voice of God.   Many saints today lack the discipline to search the scriptures for themselves.  They fail to make sure the person they are listening to is telling them the truth. We must be like the Bereans in Berea. Acts 17:10-11 says, “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

The Bereans searched the scriptures.  As great as Paul and Silas were, they didn’t just rely on their popular reputation.  They made sure what they preached and taught lined up with the Word of God.   Please saints, don’t fall for the seduction of false doctrine.  It can literally kill you and you’ll suffer the second death as a result. Remember John 5:39 says, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they which testify of me.”  Search the scriptures for yourself!  It is your eternal soul we’re talking about here.  You only get one time around here on Earth.  The scriptures don’t suggest karma or purgatory. Carlton Pearson may not believe in Hell but that doesn’t mean that Hell isn’t a reality.  It is!  And what can be worse than Hell itself?  Being thrown into the Lake of Fire, tormented for eternity, and separated from Jesus Christ forever.

Related articles:

• Recognizing a false prophet
• False prophet Carlton Pearson’s doctrinal vomit
• And again I say: beware of false prophets

Tutu is one of the gay movement’s heroes because he doesn’t adhere to the bible, but to the broad social gospel which has no standards, just “love”. And of course following God’s Word would mean that you would have to say that not all sexual activity is good and acceptable. So Tutu and those like him conveniently navigate around the heart of the issue and erect ridiculous strawmen as if the Bible is nothing but a suggestive afterthought on moral issues.

Writing in the Washington Post, the Nobel prize winner unsuccessfully tries to  draw a parallel using the more than debunked argument that sexual conduct and skin color are one in the same. Its an glaring example of how compromise is a sure killer of spiritual credibility.

Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity — or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity.

It is time to stand up against another wrong.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God’s family. And of course they are part of the African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms. Men have been falsely charged and imprisoned in Senegal, and health services for these men and their community have suffered. In Malawi, men have been jailed and humiliated for expressing their partnerships with other men. Just this month, mobs in Mtwapa Township, Kenya, attacked men they suspected of being gay. Kenyan religious leaders, I am ashamed to say, threatened an HIV clinic there for providing counseling services to all members of that community, because the clerics wanted gay men excluded.

Archbishop Tutu would have been much more accurate to say “sin has no place in the house of God”. He wouldn’t say that because he knows the gay community he is beholden to, hates that word. To them,  this isn’t about being against sin, its about a selective application of false love. Certainly, humanity is grateful for Tutu’s work  to help end South Africa’s oppressive racial system, but there’s no comparison to the oppression of sin which has permeated and enslaved much of the entire world.  For the record, I personally don’t support imprisoning or executing people for homosexual acts. At the same time, I support a country’s sovereign right to make and adjudicate their own laws whether good or bad.

While racial hatred and discrimination is an outgrowth of sin, the same is true of homosexuality. Saying that one is good and the other is evil is a disservice to practitioners of both sins. Both deserve to be told the truth so that they can experience true freedom made available by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Tutu’ argument is centered on the still unfolding drama in Uganda. He says the proposed law is a “terrible backward steps for human rights in Africa.” Indeed it is, but even if the law was never proposed, homosexual conduct would retain its sin designation. Even if Uganda passes a law giving homosexuals full legal rights, homosexuality would still be an abomination. The point Tutu intentionally refuses to acknowledge is that the destruction of sin is incalculable and cannot be legalized away. Thus, hate is a mislabeled problem with a problematic outcome.

Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear.

And they are living in hiding — away from care, away from the protection the state should offer to every citizen and away from health care in the AIDS era, when all of us, especially Africans, need access to essential HIV services. That this pandering to intolerance is being done by politicians looking for scapegoats for their failures is not surprising. But it is a great wrong. An even larger offense is that it is being done in the name of God. Show me where Christ said “Love thy fellow man, except for the gay ones.” Gay people, too, are made in my God’s image. I would never worship a homophobic God.

“But they are sinners,” I can hear the preachers and politicians say. “They are choosing a life of sin for which they must be punished.” My scientist and medical friends have shared with me a reality that so many gay people have confirmed, I now know it in my heart to be true. No one chooses to be gay. Sexual orientation, like skin color, is another feature of our diversity as a human family. Isn’t it amazing that we are all made in God’s image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people? Does God love his dark- or his light-skinned children less? The brave more than the timid? And does any of us know the mind of God so well that we can decide for him who is included, and who is excluded, from the circle of his love?

A homophobic God? Perhaps Tutu is revealing who he is worshipping and it is not the God of the Bible. It makes one wonder if this “homophobic God” is this the same one who said that the unrighteous would not enter into his kingdom?  In case you didnt know it, in the spiritual matrix world of the tolerance and diversity adherents, the top transgressions are homophobia and judging. Beyond that, little else angers them.

Tutu’s last question is an interesting one which immediately prompts another of the same.  Can human wisdom exceed or supercede the wisdom of the Creator? If he in his unparalled wisdom, created man and woman, oriented them to each other sexually, relationally and emotionally, then pronounced it all good, who are we to say that he intended or worse created something so different and foreign as homosexuality?

Pastor Blaine Bartel of Northstar Church in Dallas is the most recent pastor caught in adultery.  On April 29^th of this year Charisma Magazine reported that he stepped down from his post as pastor after he acknowledged that he’d had an affair. Bartel and his wife Cathy have been married 28 years and are in pursuit of repairing their marriage.

It’s unfortunate when a pastor or church leader commits adultery.  It causes dysfunction both within his natural household and his church congregation. It causes division within the home as well as the church because the pastor’s credibility within his community is blown.  First, its blown by the spouse who was wronged by the act of adultery.  S/he may now be filled with extreme distrust and bitterness.  Additionally, the children and the congregation are also filled with distrust and bitterness.  Not only have the pastor’s actions brought a reproach upon the name of the Lord and upon his own ministry; it’s brought a reproach upon everything he was supposed to stand for as a man of God. The world takes its’ shots pointing the finger at the church, stating “…they’re supposed to be Christians!  Look at their pastor!  He can’t even keep his pants up, and he’s telling me that I’m in sin.” They paint a broad picture that all Christians are hypocrites who can’t follow the Word of God. Even gay activist who fight for the right of homosexuals to marry point the finger at the church’s divorce rate!  The adulterous pastors who indulge in extramarital affairs are a thing they ridicule.  They question as to why the pastors can’t stop sleeping around while ordering them not to marry.  They can’t even remain married themselves!  Pastors are supposed to be the leaders in morality and character in front of their church congregation and behind closed doors.  S/he’s supposed to be the prime example of holiness.  But when the pastor or church leader falls, the whole body takes hit.

How bad off are pastors and church leaders when it comes to adultery? Forty percent of pastors have had extra-martial affairs since entering the ministry. Why, you ask?  We can speculate that the first cause is simply the lack of spending time in the presence of the Lord in prayer.  Statistics show that 95% of pastors do not pray with their spouses and 80% spend under fifteen minutes per day praying.  There are just too many Martha’s and not enough Mary’s!

The second reason would be pride.  Instead of mimicking Jesus as a servant, some pastors believe that they are the ones that are to be served.  Some become celebrity pastors of the city and begin to develop arrogant attitudes.  They failed to remember that pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

The third reason would be the lack of a true mentor that demands accountability.  Unfortunately,  seventy percent of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.

I speculate the fourth reason to be two fold: the lack of early character development in ministry as well as the lack of a spiritual mentor specifically designed to help nurture godly character in the embryo stages of ministry. Some pastors are very charismatic with talented skills.  They get by in church and everyone loves them.  But they have lust problems and are serial fornicators!  The churches’ leadership never deals with their issues because of their charisma and talent.  It is because of this charisma and talent that they continuously are pushed to higher positions in ministry.  Sadly, when the lust problems begin to manifest the church often believes that marriage is the cure.  Wrong!  All it creates for the future is a lustful serial adulterer who eventually gets exposed brings a reproach upon the ministry.

The fifth reason is simply the pastor’s lack of study of the Word and its application to his personal life within the kingdom of God.  The limited amount of study begins to reflect in his lifestyle.  Seventy percent of pastors only study the Word when it is time to prepare a message.

Regrettably, most churches in America don’t teach or have an understanding of the seriousness of adultery. In Judaism there are four cardinal sins or crimes a person should never commit:

1. Idolatry

2. Murder

3. Incest

4. Adultery

It is a crime against God because it is sin (Exodus 20:14).  It is also a sin against the spouse because covenant of marriage is broken (Job 31 9-12).  The person that commits the act of adultery has sinned against his/her own body.  The body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and when a man commits adultery he desecrates it.  It is a known medical fact that a man who has multiple sex partners runs the risk of giving his female partner pelvic or cervical cancer. Unrepentant adultery damages the spirit because sin separates a man from God.  The man exposes his body to potential diseases and damages his soul. Proverbs 6:32 says, “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”

Remember Israel’s oldest son Reuben?  He lost his birthright for sleeping with his father’s concubine Bilhah. This adulterous act cost Reuben not only his birthright, but his position in leadership of the family. In the Pseudepigrapha writings of Testament, Reuben 4:2-8 says,

“For until my father’s death I never had the courage to look him in the face or speak to any of my brothers because of my disgraceful act. Even until now my conscience harasses me because of my impious act. And yet my father consoled me greatly and prayed to the Lord in my behalf so that the Lord’s anger would pass me by – which is just how the Lord treated me. From that time until now I have kept a careful watch and have not sinned. So then, my children, observe all things that I command you and do not sin, for the sin of promiscuity is the pitfall of life, separating man from God and leading toward idolatry, because it is the deceiver of the mind and the perceptions, and leads youth down to hell before their time. For promiscuity has destroyed many. Whether a man is old, well born, rich, or poor, he brings himself disgrace among mankind and provides Satan with opportunity to cause him to stumble.”

 Promiscuity brings dishonor and shame.  We must strive to be like Joseph and not sin against God.  We must present our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God.  If our minds our transformed by the Holy Spirit promiscuity or Satan can’t have dominion over the saints.

Is their epidemic of pastors and church leaders committing adultery?

Should pastors be held more accountable of their actions?

Published at OneNewsNow, Glatze makes some very important —and heartfelt— points about Christian love and the issue of homosexuality.

Some of the highlights:

“Jesus provides a way out of all temptations that are common to man. Homosexuality is one of those temptations that some people face. There will always be the temptation to dive in, completely, becoming identified with a sinful behavior; in fact, this temptation has become a political movement – supported by many politicians and courts in our land, as well as other countries in this world. But Christians aren’t to be afraid of the pressure of an increasingly prevalent world system; we are not to be yoked together and conformed to the ways of this world.

And, so, it is frustrating when Christians lose their principles and compromise on the brilliant truth and the power of the gospel to save people from all sins. It is frustrating when Christians take the side of the enemy, against fellow believers. And it is frustrating when Christians re-crucify Christ, through their obsession with never-ending transgression. But, all these things – and, so much more – needn’t make us afraid; they should make us more ready to love.

“For me, it is remarkably frustrating to see some people within the so-called “Christian” sphere compromising the Word of God on the issue of homosexuality. It terrifies me to think of what might happen to these people’s souls. I know that homosexuality is a powerful force in today’s world – but don’t forget that it was a powerful force in ancient times as well. Remember in the book of Judges, how homosexuality pops up at the end of a long, progressive apostasy? Remember how homosexuality is described as one of the lusts that enflames people, after they have turned away from God, causing in them the results of their transgression? Have we gotten so far from God that we are willing to attempt a revision of reality, simply because we’re too afraid to see how bad things have gotten?

“The truth of homosexuality is that it is, like so many other things, a sin. And the truth about healing from homosexuality is that, like so many other sins, it can be done.”

As we have seen with some Christian leaders profiled on GCM Watch, we thought they were fairly solid in their theological perspective on homosexuality. But Glatze says the real issue is satan’s agenda of division.

“When I first came out of homosexuality, publicly, in 2007, I received 900 e-mails from loving Christians, praying, asking for guidance, sending their love. But in the last three years, I have seen strong, good Christian leaders fall into a pit of apologetic confusion around this issue of homosexuality. And I have seen good Christians turn on their brothers and sisters with an accusatory look, and the curses of the devil, because of their support for homosexuality. Make no mistake: Satan wants this issue to divide the church.”

That division comes when we reject God’s Word and his plan for man’s salvation and instead offer ourselves and our plans as sufficient to save.

Read the entire commentary at One News Now.