Russell and I had a lot of good conversations last night.  The last one I had though, made me go home and weep.  A young man we'd talked to before came and told me he now believed that Jesus and the 12 apostles were all gay.  He was quite insistant about it.  I asked what evidence he had for that and he said that they loved each other.

I had written on this topic before, but people ask me this often, so I thought I'd revisit the topic.  Here is the first article:

How God Uses Adversity

The New article:

Why Does a Good God Allow Bad Things to Happen

Declaration of In-Dependence

Lord, I come, I confess

Bowing here I find my rest

Without You I fall apart

You’re the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You

Every hour I need You

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

--Matt Mahar

There's a whole lot of trouble in the world right now, and it's only going to get worse.  The reason for this is the world, for the most part, has turned away from God, so God is bringing His judgment on the world.  For those who will grasp for it, God has thrown a life ring into the world, so save whomever will take it and put it on.  This life ring is Jesus, the Son of God.  We in this world turned our backs on God and have done great wickedness.  We've lied, cheated, indulged in sexual immorality, murdered, etc.   God said the punishment for sin is death.  It's like we're in court and th

Jesus and others in the New Testament use the illustration of a seed often. A seed is planted in the ground and dies, but the new life springs forth from it. This is like Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. It is also like the death of our old self and the new birth. On the first day a seed begins to grow, it does not produce fruit. Like an infant does not walk on his first day on earth, but must take in nourishment and grow first, so the seed must take in nourishment and grow before it produces its crop or fruit.

I can understand being hesitant to pray for Jesus’ return, because we know what calamity it means for mankind and this world. What does the Bible say to do, however?

2 Peter 3 says:

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

So why do I love God so much? Let me tell you…

He first loved me, when I was not very loveable.

He created the heavens and the earth.

He created me.

He sends the rain and the sun on the just and unjust.

He protects me.

He teaches me.

He died to save me.

He washed away my sins in his own blood.

He is full of lovingkindness.

He is slow to anger.

He is faithful, even when we are not faithful.

He does not lie.

He is the most powerful.

He made cats (one is trying to sit on my keyboard).

On Monday, I dreamed I was with 2 kids, an older girl and younger boy. They were in kayaks in the river and I was standing in river and pointed out that they were about to go over huge waterfall. I stopped their kayaks briefly to warn them. They decided to go on. The girl made it, but the boy had switched to tricycle and drowned.

I woke up so very sad.

or Count it All Joy!

http://jesusisthewaythetruththelife.com/PDFs/adversity.pdf

Dear Church,

I am writing this to warn you: if you are living in sin and relying on Once Saved Always Saved Calvinist doctrine to exonerate you from your sin, you are in danger of the fire.

Romans 11 states, speaking of the chosen people, Israel: