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Hell?
Nov 19, 2008 1:55:15 GMT -5
Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 1:55:15 GMT -5
From: watertoy00 (Original Message) Sent: 5/23/2004 1:07 AM hey all this is funny because no where in the bible dose it say were going to hell then why do people think this way its not thier place to judge it just irritates me when i hear pepole say your goin to hell..... i honeslty dont think so its love its not like we murdered anyone who cares if its 2 guys or 2 girls or 2 aliens any way oh ya and george bush is an idiot Thomas
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Hell?
Nov 19, 2008 1:55:30 GMT -5
Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 1:55:30 GMT -5
From: Manager Rev. Jim Sent: 5/25/2004 5:47 PM Hi Thomas, I know what you mean. In order to understand why they say that gays are going to hell, you have to understand where they are coming from. As we all know, the Bible tells us that every person is already bound for hell because of sin, and that the only rescue from that fate is to confess our sins to God and to believe upon Jesus and His atoning sacrifice. And contrary to what many "Christians" believe, Jesus was not some mushy hippy. He is Love and Mercy, but He is also our JUDGE. The Christians who say that we are going to hell say this because they believe that the Bible condemns homosexual identity, and therefore a homosexual cannot enter heaven. Now, if the Bible really did condemn homosexuals then YES, gays would NOT be going to heaven. However, the Bible does NOT condemn homosexuals. But here is the point that I have tried for years to get across to anti-gay Christians: IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER A PERSON IS GAY OR STRAIGHT BECAUSE WITHOUT JESUS, EVERYONE IS GOING TO HELL REGARDLESS OF THERE SEXUALITY. All straight and gay people who have not surrendered their lives to Christ will be faced with eternity in the Lake of Fire. But a gay or straight person who has turned fully to Christ will spend eternity with Him. I think the biggest problem in the gay Christian community is that many gays believe that, just because they have accepted Christ, that gives them license to continue fornicating as they did in their preChristian life. Believing on Christ doesn't mean that we stop being homosexual, but believing on Christ puts gays under the same biblical standards that exist for straights. The Bible is clear: sex is only to be enjoyed between two people in a life long, covenant, committed, monogomous relationship. There are many gay Christians who are faithful and maintain their sexual purity only within a union, but there are far too many who do not, and this is RIGHTLY condemned by the Body of Christ. Fornicators WILL NOT enter the kingdom of heaven, as it clearly states in Revelation, so it is vital that gay Christians be obedient tothe Lord in this area. In the mean time, we have to continue to forgive the gay haters in the church, just as Jesus forgives us for our own sins and our own ignorances. Bear in mind that each person will stand alone before the Judgment Seat to be held accountable, and it behoves us that we forgive the tresspasses of others because, no matter what someone does to us, I wouldn't want ANYONE to spend eternity in hell because of something they did to me when I had the opportunity to spare them through a simple act of mercy. Yes, they are wrong to tell faithful gay Christians that they are going to hell. But let us confront them only with love and with the truth, and pray for them. Prayer - not anger or vengeance - is the weapon given to us from the Holy Spirit. So have honest mercy and pity for them, and pray for them. With love in Christ Jesus, Manager, Rev. Jim
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Hell?
Nov 19, 2008 1:55:51 GMT -5
Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 1:55:51 GMT -5
From: Luke Sent: 5/25/2004 11:10 PM Rev. Jim, I like what you wrote very much. The most important decision any of us have to make in our individual lives is what to do with Jesus. Is he a lunatic, or is He a liar, or is He the Lord and Saviour of us all (those who accept Him as such). Right now the Christian community is missing the point. Luke
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Hell?
Nov 19, 2008 1:56:11 GMT -5
Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 1:56:11 GMT -5
From: Manager Rev. Jim Sent: 5/26/2004 11:05 AM Amen, Luke. Ya know, just because some Christians disagree with us on this issue doesn't mean that we have stopped being brothers and sisters in Christ. There will always be debate in the church, and this is a GOOD thing because it means that we are striving to do what we believe is right before God. Even the apostles did this. Paul tells us that he argued with Peter, going so far as to say "I withstood him to his face!" And the contention between Paul and Barnabas was so sharp that they parted ways. But though they disagreed, they did not cast each other away but continued to consider each other part of the Body of Christ. Imagine how Jesus felt when His OWN people - the people whom He chose as His own and called them His "bride" and set them free from Egypt and Babylon, the people to whom He gave His precious Law - imagine how He felt when they rejected Him. He was the very God that stood by them all those years and when he came down to them they turned against Him and DENIED who He was! The pain of that rejection and betrayal must have been far worse than the physical pain He endured. And yet from the depth of His being, He said, "Father, FORGIVE THEM!" As followers of Jesus, having "put on the mind of Christ", and having died to ourselves so that it is Christ and not we who lives in us, can we do less for those who hate and reject and betray us? True, our haters have forgotten the heart of the Law - Justice, Mercy and Good Faith; but the true Christian is the one who turns that other cheek, who does not recompense evil, who does not fight back, who does not "resist evil", and who surrenders the right of vengeance to the Lord's hands. And that is who we must strive to be. There's a big difference between honest debate between people who disagree, and debate which involves condemnation for those who disagree. I have a friend who is involved in the Religious Science cult, and we debate for hours on end - but we don't leave the table despising one another. Let us be sure that, regardless of the actions of others - even, and especially, in the Body of Christ - that we be "harmless as doves", a reflection of the God who forgives. As it is written, "Mercy laughs in the face of judgment (condemnation)". Let us exude mercy so that we stink of it. In Jesus, Manager, Rev. Jim
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Hell?
Nov 19, 2008 1:56:37 GMT -5
Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 1:56:37 GMT -5
From: kevinjaye Sent: 5/26/2004 12:43 PM Jim:
You are awesome in your wisdom and understanding. I'm so thankful that I found this group - - and that there are people out there in the gay community who believe like I do!!
Keep up the awesome work!!
Kj.
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