“What Did Jesus Say About Homosexuality?”

The debate surrounding marriage is as old as Moses (Deut. 24). Homosexuality as well has had  historic implications since Old Testament times (Gen. 19; Lev. 18:22, 20:13). Michael Brown contributes to the debate with a biblical response to the homosexual agenda in light of the institution of marriage (Gen. 3:18-24; Mat. 19:8; Deut. 24) and the argument of silence that supposedly supports tolerance of homosexual relationships in light of Matthew 19:11-12. If this were the times of the apostle Paul, he would say that any claim that the Bible favors homosexuality is not only false doctrine, but the discipline of homosexual theology is biblically incompatible.

Here We Grow Again! Church Home In Lauderhill Florida.

I savor moments like these, when you know you are living in a dream.  The picture to the left is myself, praying in one of the church offices overlooking the parking lot, facing a multicultural community of Inverrary/Lauderhill. Moments after I penned the last paragraph of my message for Sunday, I moved to the kitchen counter, stood by the sink for a moment, feeling a bit overwhelmed but in a good way. In the stillness of the early morning I declared, “Thank you Jesus!” The dream has become a reality. Once, a dream, now we are living it; and it feels like  a nonstop movement toward an intended purpose. Wow! Who would think we'd be doing this a year ago? Everything starts as a dream; God's providence effects the reality. "And God saw that it was GOOD" (Gen. 1:10).

You Are Not Your Sexuality

Impersonation Of Famous Preachers

Why Baptize?

Perspective on Baptism

The following is a block quote that serves as an excellent apologetic for Believer’s Baptism:

“In the NT, baptism represents at least three and possibly four things. First, it signifies cleansing from sin and is thus “unto repentance.” Obviously the threat of judgment is behind the need for baptism, but the baptism itself is (symbolically) the means of escape from judgment. Those who are baptized acknowledge their guilt and seek to have it washed away. Second, baptism is a ritual dying and rising again, symbolizing the believer's participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. This is the point of Col 2:12. Third, it is a “sincere pledge/request to God” because in baptism one comes to God in genuine faith, seeking forgiveness, and desiring to walk in the light. Fourth, it may represent the effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the believer after the patterns of the descent of the Spirit at Jesus' baptism and the reception of the Spirit by Cornelius' household just prior to their baptism (Acts 10:44–48).”[1]

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[1] Duane A. Garrett, “Meredith Kline on Suzerainty, Circumcision and Baptism,” Believer’s Baptism, Nashville, TN: B&H, 2006).

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Salvation During Old Testament Times

How was salvation obtained in the Old Testament? Was it through circumcision? Was it adherence to laws, rituals and ceremonies? How could they be righteous without the indwelling Holy Spirit? These are profound questions that have been the source of contention for decades. The Bible attests to several instances in which men of God were called righteous: Abraham (Gal. 3:6), Noah (Gen. 6:9), and Job (Job 1:1,8). How is it that folks could be righteous without the work of the Spirit? A study of the Bible reveals that indeed the Spirit of God has been working a plan since the beginning of time. There may not have been a blanket indwelling of the Spirit of God, but there were several accounts of men controlled by God’s influence (cf. Moses, Joseph, Saul, Daniel, Joshua, Abraham). Here's one instance you may find interesting. There was "an apostolic appointment as far back as the days of Moses: 

"Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him" (Deut. 34:9). Was this a foreshadowing of New Testament "laying on of hands" for the gifts of the Spirit?

The point is, God has been working through his Spirit long before incarnation. 

Atonement Theories: The Person & Work of Christ

The Person & Work of Christ

Atonement is exactly described with the Hebrew word “kaphar,” meaning “to cover.”[1] Theologically speaking, the blood of Jesus Christ has covered the sins of mankind. By the will of God, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10b). That Jesus Christ lived on the earth, conducted ministry, was killed on a cross, arose from the dead, and went back into the heavens (Lk. 2:7; Mk.1; Jn. 18, 19:17-37, 20:1-9; Acts 1:9-11), is essential to the doctrine of humanity and of the atonement. Humans were created by God for his good pleasure, but the entrance of sin necessitated “a satisfaction.” This satisfaction could only be obtained by divine means, hence the doctrine of soteriology – salvation through Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:13-15; Jn. 3:17). If the doctrine of humanity is understood in light of “what needed to be done for, how it was done for and the ultimate destiny of humans,”[2] then the atonement describes Christ’s work through the incarnation in satisfying the demands of a holy, righteous and moral God for violations against his nature and for human liberation from sin.

Discovering Your Personal Leadership | Dr. Myles Munroe

God Gifts His Church

                        Spiritual Formation Enabled By Spiritual Gifts (Ephesians 4:11)

Now, at the heart of spiritual transformation into Christ-likeness is Holy Spirit guided living, described by Paul as “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13b). In no way could this “fullness” (Ephesians 4:9b) be achieved through human effort. It is God who must “fill” his church in order that they may be “full”. It is the Holy Spirit who does an “inside job” by “empowering a transformed people to live out “God honoring lives within the context of community and healthy relationships.”[1] Christ’ desire is to see his people become agents of change in the earth. In verses 11-12 Paul fleshes out the offices or functions through which Christ’s mission would be accomplished:

“He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). 

These gifts/functions/office (five main functions) were given to the entire church for the efficacy of Christ’s kingdom government. If anything is to be accomplished in Christ’s church, it will be through divine enablement. That said, Paul further explains: “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28). This was the work of God to spiritually empower men and women within and for the enabling of these gifts within his church. The first three gifts or offices that Paul numerated are sometimes called “higher offices” (apostles, prophets and evangelists). An apostle “was chosen and commissioned by Christ and were endowed through a special impartation of the Holy Spirit for the work of establishing the church.”[2] They played an authoritative role. “While they lived, they could provide teaching in person, but also committed their inspired revelation to writing, bringing into existence the New Testament.”[3]

Considerations Before Missions Engagement

Understanding Culture

It would be a difficult task to remove the cultural influence that shapes the worldview of a person. “No one can ever divorce himself from his culture.”[1] When considering strategies for fulfilling God’s call to take the Good News to the nations, it is essential to consider the cultural component. If any one person already has difficulty objectively looking into the impact culture has on his life, how much more the church as it makes in-roads into new territory and peoples. Lloyd Kwast suggests using the “man from Mars” method in seeking to understand the impact of and the values associated with cultural studies. The “man from Mars is able to visualize successive levels of understanding the real heart of a culture. His will be an objective view, looking from the outside-in.” on this alien culture.[2] One of the first observations about a people is their “behavior,” seen in their speech, language and non-verbal responses to stimuli (the message). An objective summation of behavior is that “culture functions as a patterned way of doing things.”[3] Perhaps a better way to describe it is “the super-glue which binds people together and gives them a sense of identity and continuity that is almost impenetrable.”[4] The communicator of the gospel can expect any number of setbacks from a group of people who will view his message a strange or even alien to who they are as a people. The gospel may at times be considered heresy, an attack on their cultural identity and a means of upsetting the apple cart.