Any BYC Christians? Post here!-Please heed Admin Warning in First Post

[Cindiloohoo]

I agree with the church not being a particular building. So long as you are having fellowship with other believers, you are having church IMO. The homosexuality issue...it's not about tolerance of homosexuality. People do not understand how to seperate the act from the person. God LOVES everyone. I am not tolerant of the ACT of being homosexual by some of my friends, but I love the person the same as I do my friends and family who are drug addicts, gambling addicts, racists and so on, as much as I love those who are not those things. You don't have to agree with peoples sins in order to love the person. The Bible plainly states it is an abomination. You can't argue with that. It also states to love your neighbor as yourself. It's the act that is an abonmination, not the person. The person can get right with God, homosexuality will never be right with God. Just my view.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Cindi, you've said what I couldn't seem to put into words. I was raised to not associate with or be near anything that was considered in a part of homosexuality. When I came to a more "liberal" state, my viewpoint changed and I was able to separate the homosexuality from the person. It's not that it doesn't bother me, it's more along the lines of homosexuality does not completely define a person. There are so many different aspects to a person and their sexuality simply does not seem that big of a deal to me.

No, I cannot quote Scripture. No, I do not have any Bible verse except John 3:16 memorized. But do I believe Jesus died for me? Absolutely.

 

[speckledhen]

You don't have to agree with peoples sins in order to love the person.

Agree 100%.​

 

[gckiddhouse]

Please don't forget the tender mercies of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved and had compassion for those that society cast out. It is our LOVE that shows us as Christians - not our rules and regulations. Christ died a horrible death to free us from that. God is love. And Jesus came to show us that love as well as how to live as Christians. If you believe on him and confess him as Lord, then you are a Christ follower. If you are a Christ follower, then you seek Him and His rightousness.

Every Christian is on a journey of growth, learning as they go, just like a child. Keep asking questions and look to His word for your answers.

Phillipians 1:6 ...that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

[Beekissed]

Very eloquent Christian folk on this forum and I, for one, am very glad. It is very difficult to discuss these topics sometimes and get the right words or scriptures to support the topic. You all have done so admirably and answered a few questions that many have. Thank you!

 

[speckledhen]

God is love.

BUT, He is sooooo much more than that. He's also a consuming fire, absolute perfection, not the milquetoast wuss He is often portrayed as (or the French model who posed for so many pictures of an un-Jewish-like Jesus hanging on walls all over the world).




Mikaela, the old Testament verses referring to that subject are in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 (under Mosaic law) and in the New Testament (under Grace), they are Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 9-11.​

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Jesus hung out with sinners, prostitutes, thieves and worse. It did not change who he was/is. He came for the lost. I believe homosexuality is sin. I also belive that lying and stealing is sin. The Bible says ALL liars will have their place in the Lake of Fire. I would rather have a hundred gay friends, than one that is a liar. At present I have NO gay friends. I have a few friends that happen to be gay.

In Truth, only one sin will seperate us from God. Homosexuality is not that sin. Stealing and telling a lie is not it. The only sin that will send anyone to eternal seperation from God is the sin of rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savour.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:

Colossians 4:15

15Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
​

All very good points but I'm not quite so sure that's 100% completely accurate. Were the first churches a group of Believers meeting in a house? Yes. The Bible clearly says so. But a house is a building and it does have walls. We see God taking great care to list in detail the building of both the Tabernacle and the Temple. Obviously, God thinks it is significant enough to list those details for a reason. A "church" is a place that is set apart to come and meet with God. Having said that, can one have "church" outside without walls? Certainly. We see that in Scripture as well. By the same token, one can have a meeting of Believers in a home for the purposes of a Bible Study on a continual repeated basis but it never being a church.

With all due love and respect for my sister Speckledhen, there can certainly be "more meat" in the hours spent at a Bible Study but that doesn't mean it was a church. I have certainly had several experiences where I got more "meat" in a two hour Bible Study than I did the previous Sunday service. But I was in God's House on Sunday attending church and on Wednesday I was fellowshipping with the brethren at a Bible Study. A "church" most certainly is much more than just a group of Believers meeting together.

And at the same time one can have a building that is called a church and not be one. The cults may call their building a church but that don't make it one. The same as one who calls themself a Christian but practices lawlessness or denies the basic tenets of the Faith. As I've said many times, I can go stand in the garage, jump up and down all day long and call myself a car - but that don't make me one.

From there I just wanted to say there is a lot of other GREAT comments. Speckledhen, I particularly appreciate your boldness to point out that while it is absolutely true that God is love he is also a lot more. Yes, God is merciful, full of Grace, long suffering, patient, etc. but he is just as much Holy, Righteous, Just, Jealous, vengeful, etc.

I think the crux of the matter is how one defines "If you believe on him and confess him as Lord, then you are a Christ follower." I submit that if one is confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord but by their actions denying Him and not following Him - then that person is not a "follower" of Jesus. We must be Doers of the Word and not just Hearers (James 1:22) and if we say we have fellowship with Jesus and walk in darkness then we are lying (1Jn 1:6).

The other issue that comes out of this is how do we be in the world but not of the world and how do we love the sinner but not the sin? I think we must look at Jesus for the example. Jesus Christ would meet anyone, any time, any place BUT He never left them there. In every single encounter that Jesus ever had with anyone they were changed. Their heart either softened to confession and repentance or it was hardened and they became even more distant from Him. I would challenge anyone to show me an example where Jesus met with a Sinner who chose to continue in that sin and Jesus continued to fellowship with them. I can't think of a single case. The Bible clearly tells us that darkness can have NO fellowship with Light. The Bible tells us that we will be hated, persecuted, and condemned by those who want no part of the Light. If we are truly following Christ then we should expect to be alienated from Unbelievers.

So I take exception to the statement that "Jesus hung out with sinners, prostitutes, thieves and worse. Jesus most certainly would meet with them but if they chose to remain in their sin, He'd have no more to do with them. "Go and sin no more" was Jesus response.

Jim, you are absolutely correct when you say, "In Truth, only one sin will seperate us from God. Homosexuality is not that sin. Stealing and telling a lie is not it. The only sin that will send anyone to eternal seperation from God is the sin of rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savour." However, I submit that anyone who chooses to remain in a sin and practice that sin - such as homosexuality, lying, drunkedness, etc. - fit into the category of "rejecting" Jesus as "Lord". The Bible is clear, one MUST make a choice. No one can have two Masters. Either sin will be your Master or Jesus will be your Master. You can't have it both ways.

Remember, when it comes to liars, fornicators, homosexuals and the others on the list, the ending words of that verse are "and so were some of you." (1st Cor. 6:11). Remember that we are commanded to go and preach the Gospel and to enter in with anyone who will have us but if they reject us we are to leave and shake the dust from our sandals as a testimony unto them and it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment for them.

Clearly we are to be about our Father's business and doing those things that we ought for the Kingdom of God. "Hanging out" with the ungodly is not what God had in mind at all. In fact, the most loving thing we can do is point their sin out to them and show them why they need a savior. "Hanging out" with them may to the contrary be a hateful act because it may give them the false impression that their sin is acceptable and tolerable. It may implicitly encourage them to continue in their sin. And that would be a colossal mistake.

This is tantamount to those who are allowing open, practicing homosexuals to continue to profess to be Christian without being challenged on that. And when they are challenged, they go start their own church or go to a denomination that says, "God is love." Or God is full of mercy and grace and is quick to forgive. These are half truths and half truths are full 100% lies. Or that ones sexual "orientation" - a lie in and of itself - or "preference" (a much more accurate term) doesn't define them as a person or define what Faith they choose to follow. Like I said, I can call myself a car and make engine noises all day long but that don't make me one. Wide is the road but narrow is the gate and few shall find it. Believing in Jesus is much more than being able to recite a few basic fundamental truths about who He is. It is placing ones absolutely trust in Him which means surrendering to Him and His ways instead of your own.

Then there is the issue of what "hanging out" with practicing sinners does to the Believer. I'll end with this. I once heard it put this way, "You can't get down and play with the pigs and not get a little mud on you."

We Believers are to abstain from even the appearance of evil. We should be feeding the pigs and trying to clean the pigs up so to speak. And I don't mean to imply that we are the ones who can wash them but rather we ought to be the ones to disciple them towards holiness like a child who starts on the breast milk but graduates to steak and potatoes.

Love the discussion. Y'all are great!

God Bless,

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Morning everybody! I have been planning a surprise baby shower. The shower is tomorrow. Yay! Excited for it to get here.

And I have another JJ Heller fan in the works at my home. My 2 1/2 year old sings her music in the car now. Her favorite seems to be "Back Home." So cute! She goes around singing "back home, back home." Love my babies!

Have a Blessed day!

 

[Why and Dotte]

Hi guys!
I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures, it's especially good during troubling times, it says it all

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8