I am sitting here tonight, listening to some good christian music, and contemplating the events that are coming up this week for me and my family. The coming week will bring a new beginning in our new church home. A church plant named G3 Fellowship that has it's first service on this coming Sunday, May 6th. This is an amazing time to be involved in something of this magnitude, and then I look at the fact that my wife and I are voting this week, and we are having to vote FOR a marriage amendment, which makes it a part of our states constitution that Marriage is defined as being between one man and one woman, not same sex couples. Two very different events, both full of excitement and energy, and both events controversial, some more than others in some peoples eyes. But what strikes me most is these are both spiritually filled events that the church has a huge interest in, as well as our saviour.
Now some of you are going to take that statement about both being controversial and run with it and go, How could he say that a church opening is controversial? Has he lost his mind? What is Brother Bill thinking, how could he make such a statement. A church opening up is nothing like the Marriage Amendment. I would much rather see a church open next door than have two people married and living beside me that are of the same sex. And I understand that though, but I want to explain myself.
First lets look at subject number one, the Marriage Amendment that is before the people of North Carolina. Now THIS is a controversial subject. It seems like you cannot turn on the TV or radio, or open a newspaper or go to a news website, especially in the last few days, without this subject staring you in the face.I have seen billboards and seen TV ads to the point that I am sick of seeing it and will be glad when the people of this state vote FOR the marriage amendment and we end this debate. But, before that can happen, people need to become educated in what the Bible says. In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2:18-24, The Lord saw that it was not good for a man to be alone and he decided to make him a help mate. Now The Lord put Adam into a deep sleep and took one of his rib,stitched him up, and then proceeded to create the help mate, a WOMAN! So when he was done with the Woman, he brought her to Adam who looked at her, grinned , and said "Bone of my Bone, flesh of my flesh;she shall be called WOMAN, because she was taken out of man.And for that reason man shall his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his WIFE, and they shall be one flesh.
Now you notice that in this series of events, God did not put Adam to sleep, take his rib and create another man to be his helpmate. God, from the beginning of mankind, has defined that Marriage is between a man and a woman. No where in the Bible will you find that God changed his mind down the road and said, ya know what maybe Adam and Steve would have been better than Adam and Eve. Maybe Eve and Diane would make a better couple, so let's just say anyone can marry anyone they want and I am OK with that. NO, in fact he was so NOT OK with it that he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the immorality of that place, which included homosexuality.Now before I go any farther, I want to make one thing clear. God never said he was against homosexuals, what he has said since the beginning of mankind is that he is against Homosexuality, and yes there is a Huge difference. You see Homosexuality is a sin, which make homosexuals sinners. And we all know that God loves a sinner and wants nothing more than for them to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and repent of their sin (homosexuality) and become a new creature in Christ. I have nothing against homosexuals, I have a lot against homosexuality. And when we are talking about same sex marriage, the reason that we will be voting this week on a Marriage Amendment is not about the people (the sinner) it's about the Actions of those people (the Sin). So in turn by voting against the Marriage Amendment you are voting against God, and I my friend do not know about you, but I will never vote against God. By voting for the Marriage Amendment, you are saying that North Carolina is going to stand firm in the fact that we do not and never will condone the immoral act of Homosexuality, but we will welcome the opportunity to get to know the homosexual and help them hear the word of God, that if they will accept, will lead them to eternal life in Christ.To many times we take and forget that we are to love the sinner, but to hate the sin. We forget that Christ came not to judge the world, but to save the world. We all to often forget that as Christians, we are to be a light to the world, telling everyone about the love of Christ and the Gospel, instead of combining the sin into the sinner and neglecting the latter because of the former.
And folks for that very reason is why I say a new Church being opened is controversial for many. You see, the same ones who are AGAINST the Marriage Amendment, are the same people who find churches and the Gospel offensive. They are the same ones who say that Christianity is a term that people hide behind to make themselves feel better when they sit in judgment of others. These are the same people who have fought and are still fighting to take Prayer out of our schools, the ten commandments removed from public buildings. These are the same people who want to take Christ out of Christmas, who want to see churches closed and the bible put on the shelf and retired to being a work of fiction on our library shelves. A new Church to these people is nothing more than another target for them to go after and have closed down, all in the name of progress and education of the future. Well you know what folks, I find a new Church a reason to shout from the roof tops. A reason to get up on top of a building and as the Newsboys sing, yell out "My God's not dead he's surely Alive." A new Church to me ,means new souls to reach, new sermons to be preached, praise songs to be sung , A community to be touched for Jesus so that hearts and Lives will be changed.A new Church is a New beginning, just as when a person gives themselves to Christ and becomes "Born Again", and becomes that new creature in Christ. A new Church is an exciting time to stand before those who call it controversial and say "Jesus Loves you, will you love him back?"
You see Brothers and Sisters, a new Church, just like he Marriage Amendment, is controversial for many, but for me, neither is Controversial. What they both are to me is proof. Proof that God is alive and well in our community and our state. You see if God was not at work, and was not alive and well in our community, then neither of these events would be taking place this week, for there would be no one to start the new Church, and no one to stand up and say Marriage is between a man and a woman. There would be no one to say, these are controversial events, for no one would care if God was not Alive and Well, and at work.
To those who read this and disagree with me, so be it. You are entitled to your opinion. But I ask you this, when this Life is over and you have drawn your last breath, what will you say to God when he asks "Why, Why did you vote against me?" Will you stare in silence, realizing that the Word of God that you have heard and ignored is real, which means Heaven and Hell are real. Are you willing to play with Eternity? Or when you step out of this world, would you rather fall in to the hands of our Lord and hear the words " well done thou good and faithful servant".
Have a great night all and God bless you. Pray for our Nation, our State, our Schools, our Families and Our World as a whole. Also pray for G3 Fellowship this week as the doors are prepared to open and receive all that God has called to come and worship. Pray for my Brother, the Pastor of G3, John Monderen, that God will give him the word of God to speak on Sunday May the 6th that will touch and transform lives for the Kingdom of God.
In Christ's Love,
Brother Bill Roy
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