The Real Reason Behind Civil Unions and Homosexual Marriage

Most stories pushing the homosexual union/marriage agenda start with a sad story of some poor couple denied something because they didn't have the same rights as married people. This is used to gain sympathy from a gullible public - why should we deny this to people who love each other, etc.

How about if the story started out this way: "We are gay, we are out of the closet, and we will not be satisfied until we shove all of the Christians into a closet. We want to force you to violate your religious beliefs. If you own a bakery we will force you to make a cake to celebrate our union. If you are a photographer we will force you to celebrate our union by taking pictures of it." Do you get the point? These are real things that are happening and not the only examples.

The way the story is spun many times determines how people will feel about it. The truth is that homosexual activists do have an agenda. It's not that we tolerate them, accommodate them, accept them, etc. The agenda is to silence all opposition and force it into submission.

We can still love them and reach out to them but we should not be fooled by them.

Philip

Why I Care About Abortion

11 weeks from conception

I have been involved in direct action against abortion for many years. That means I am actively doing things to stop abortions. Through the years that has included picketing, getting arrested, passing out literature at local high schools, and leading a prolife ministry.

Something happened in 1990 that forever changed me. One of the things I have done through the years is dig through the trash of abortion clinics to gain information about them. One cold Saturday morning I was going through bags of trash. As I opened up a wad of paper and gauze I was stunned and devastated. There before me was the foot of a child. It looked just like the picture above these words except that it was more lifelike. It was about 1/2 inch long and severed above the ankle.

We tolerate abortion because it is just a word to many of us; a controversial subject that we are tired of hearing about. The number of 50,000,000 abortions done in the United States since January 22, 1973 are just a statistic lost in the busyness of our lives.

So can you let your mind wander or wonder for a minute? I am holding a child's foot, cut from its body which has been destroyed in the "procedure." This child was around 12 weeks old from conception. What was the previous day like for this baby? What kind of people are we that can barely conjure up a yawn at the thought of this?

The blood of these children cry out for justice. The judgment of God will fall on those who commit these acts and those who ignore them.

Our silence allows this holocaust to continue, allows many more women and children's lives to be ruined and prevents the surviving parents of these children from finding the available forgiveness and healing.

I will continue to fight and hope that you will join with me.

Philip

Husband Lovers - φίλανδρος

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children.... Titus 2:3-4

A type of love was being talked about in Sunday School yesterday. Not agape that we are so familiar with but phileo. John 20:2 speaks of the disciple whom Jesus loved - not agape but phileo. The encouragement was to understand that Jesus wants to love us in this way. He wants to be our friend, he is affectionate with us, wants to be close to us and dare I say, kiss us.

I was reminded of another passage where phileo is used. Cited above Titus 2:4 says that older women are to teach the younger to love their husbands and children. The words used are philandros and philoteknos. I thought it very interesting that they are not told to agape husbands and children but that they needed to be taught to phileo them.

There is probably a lot that needs to be drawn out of this thought but I think I will leave that to others.

Would love to hear what you think about this.

Philip

Why you need a punch in the face

...but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:27

I casually looked up the word discipline in the above verse. I was rocked by what I read. We so easily use the words discipline and disciple but I'm not sure we are ready for what Paul is talking about here. Another version uses the word buffet.

Here is the definition: This verb means to strike on the face with resultant disfigurement; to beat black and blue. It's a boxing metaphor.

Paul is using strong words because he knows disqualification is possible. He knows that a body and soul needs serious treatment if they are going to line up with God's ways.

But it's not just the physical body that needs a punch but something far deeper.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

Are we serious about what it takes to escape the damage and corruption of the world? What we see, what our body wants, how we think more of ourselves than we should; these things can push out God.

How about this: You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. Hebrews 12:4

Jesus sweat blood in the garden as he struggled with the battle that was ahead. What kind of fight do we put up when tempted? Do we give a punch to the face or wimp out and surrender?

So why do this? Is it because we are on a glum journey to holiness? No, it's because there is a joy and peace we can experience when we are making progress in our walk with God. The hard work has a reward that far surpasses the struggle to attain it.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:11

Our struggle is not new: And Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:46

Don't let the things of the world lull you to sleep. Wake up, pray, and when necessary, punch yourself in the face - your eternity depends on it.

Philip