I made the following statement in Podcast: "I do not show friendships to homosexuals or lesbians, or adulterers, or fornicators. While I care about them, I cannot go with them to the barbeque. Instead I share what God says about the sins and they usually don't want to be around me any more. However, some even try to be friends with me, while knowing my support for the scriptures which show their sins. But I avoid them."
2 Timothy 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(They might even attend church but they will not follow scripture in their own lives. "From such turn away," says the apostle Paul.)
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(friend: one you assist or support or approve)
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We have a neighbor who might be a lesbian or seems to support lesbians. She is a Catholic and attends Catholic church. I believe she would say Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
A few years ago, she was at Pam's house and was visiting me in my room. She noticed my walker and tennis wrist bands that I had been using to help support my two broken wrists. These wrist bands were hanging on each handle of my walker and she said to me, "Does this mean you support lesbians?"
I was shocked! (What do tennis wrist bands have to do with lesbians?)
But I replied, "No ... I don't think so!"
After she left, I kept thinking of this and I realized the homosexual/lesbians have a bright colored stripe flag and my tennis wrist bands had bright colored stripes.
Immediately I threw those wrist bands into the garbage, not wanting to give anyone the opportunity to think I support the homosexuals and lesbians.
And I sent the following scripture by US mail to this neighbor.
Romans 1
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
(There are many scriptures in OT where God speaks against "Sodomites" which I believe to be homosexuals as we know them today. Certainly by Romans 1, God shows homosexual and lesbian to be participating in "vile affections", this is God's view of the situation. And God shows also in
Romans 1,that HE gave them over to these "vile affections" and the reason HE gave them over.)
As a Christian I would not support homosexuals or lesbians. I do not approve of something that God shows disapproval of in the Bible.
Neither would I choose to be around homosexuals or lesbians. (In a similar way I would not choose to be around fornicators, adulterers, drunkards and other who sin in the following acts of sin spoken of by the apostle Paul in the Bible. I would not support sins humans do which Bible shows to be wrong in the sight of God.)
I Corinthians 6
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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Given the opportunity, I would show what the Bible says about all sins and would urge the person doing such to turn away from that sin and I would speak what Bible says and urge them to cease doing the sin.
Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery in John 8, "Go ... and sin no more." (v.11)
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Yesterday afternoon, I was in my bedroom and heard the dogs barking. It was the kind of bark they do when someone is at the front door.
Our neighbor had brought down to the house some candy for us. And as she left, she said to Pam, "If you go out to look at Christmas lights, call me and I will go with you."
When Pam told me this I knew there was supposed to be a blizzard coming in so I thought that would take care of the going out to see Christmas lights. But there was no blizzard, just very light snow!
Had this woman invited me to dinner at her house, I would not have gone, for I would have suspected lesbians would be attending that dinner. I just would not want to put myself in such a situation unless I was certain God was sending me there to speak the gospel. (same case for fornicators, adulterers, drunkards and others openly committing such sins.)
But I saw this case differently. She basically invited herself. And since we had accepted the candy she brought to our house, I felt we should accept her Christmas lights drive since there was no blizzard. I discussed it with Pam and she sort of agreed, I think. So she called and told her we would go out and we would pick her up at 6 in our new car.
Later I was reminded of the following scripture:
Luke 7
(The previous verse might cause me to rethink the statement that I would not go to a bar-be-que with a person I suspect of being a sinner. There is a man I suspect of being homosexual. He came to Colorado Springs on a business trip. He contacted me wanting me to have dinner with him. I agreed to do so. Then it hit me what I had agreed to do. I prayed, asking God to get me out of this if HE didn't want me to go. The day before we were to meet for dinner, this man got very ill and had to go hospital in Texas and left Colorado.)
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at HIS feet behind HIM weeping, and began to wash HIS feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed HIS feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And HE saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And HE said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest ME no water for MY feet: but she hath washed MY feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest ME no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss MY feet.
46 MY head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed MY feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And HE said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at HIS feet behind HIM weeping, and began to wash HIS feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed HIS feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And HE saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And HE said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest ME no water for MY feet: but she hath washed MY feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest ME no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss MY feet.
46 MY head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed MY feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And HE said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
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I would not accept an invitation to dinner at home of those persons committing sins against the Bible and openly flaunting those sins before all. That is not the case with our neighbor. Should she invite me to dinner, I would likely ask her if she supports homosexuals and lesbians and see what she says. But I would try to remember to ask God what HE wants me to do and do that.
To be a "friend" means: to support or assist them in their endeavors.
When this neighbor recently retired from her secular job, I did share with her the characteristics of wisdom from God, giving her the following scriptures:
James 3
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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This neighbor was interested in buying our previous car when we told her we were changing cars because we needed a car with air suspension because I have had 7 previous broken bones and it hurts me to ride in most cars.
She kept being torn over whether or not to buy our car since she has just retired from her job.
Then she proposed to Pam that Pam put an incorrect selling price on the legal registration papers so she wouldn't have to pay as much tax for the purchase of the car.
Pam explained that would be "hypocrisy" and therefore not in keeping with the wisdom from God. It would also be illegal.
The neighbor replied, "That is correct and we should do what is right."
(She did not buy the car and we sold it to Lincoln Car Dealer for $30,000.)
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On the car ride last night, only one point happened for me to deal with.
As the neighbor got out of car she said to me, "Merry Christmas." I did not respond. She said again, "Merry Christmas." Again I did not respond. She got out of the car. The car trip ended. She sent text message saying she hoped we enjoyed the car ride.
Later I thought, "What does it mean when someone says 'Merry Christmas' "?
(I reached no conclusion but I never say this back to them for I know Christmas in not in Bible and we are not commanded by God to do this event. It is man made.)
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I never wish people well (unless I'm sure they are trying to follow God), because if I do that, and they go out and sin, John said I will be partaker of their sin:
2 John
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
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