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In our public schools today, our children are being taught there are no moral absolutes - each person is to decide what’s wrong or right for himself. Most people today try to be “politically correct” when they speak to people about today’s controversial issues. Whether people want to believe it or not, there is a God and He ABSOLUTELY tells the world what is right or wrong. The Christian Holy Bible is God’s Word and will for the whole world, and the Bible is where we look to discover what God wants us to do and not to do. The following is a partial list showing God’s will for the world. If you have questions, call the pastor.
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[Click on an issue for more information]
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Marriage is the lifelong union of one natural man and one natural woman.
Marriage is a divine institution established by God Himself for happiness, chastity of mankind and propagation of the race.
(Genesis 2:24) “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
(Genesis 1:28) “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…’”
Notice God said a man [ONE MAN] will leave his parents and cleave [remain faithful] to his wife [ONE WOMAN]. God blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply [have children]. Unfortunately because of the sinfulness and immorality of Americans, divorce, adultery, and promiscuity are creating trouble for the sanctity of marriage.
In this 21st century, homosexuals are trying to destroy the godly marriage that has been existent and the norm since the world began. Only 2% of Americans are homosexual, and this 2% is trying through public sentiment, the American courts and even Congress to force the other 98% of Americans to accept their horrid, sinful, and disgusting lifestyle. They are even trying to change the laws to force Americans to allow their ungodly lifestyle. God is very clear that He doesn’t want this type of existence, (Leviticus 18:22) “Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Certainly God will never bless or accept a homosexual marriage.
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Only the Christian religion should be allowed in our schools and government.
America began as a Christian nation and, up to the last century, proudly called itself as such. Take a quick look at our religious past
The Mayflower Compact (often referred to as the foundation of the Constitution of the United States), signed on November 11, 1620 by the Pilgrims begins this way: “In the name of God, Amen ... Having undertaken, for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith ...”
Articles of Confederation, May 19, 1643, state: “Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity with peace ...”
United States Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, begins this way: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness ...”
A PROCLAMATION for General Thanksgiving By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America October 14, 1789, begins thusly: “ WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; (signed) G. Washington
The SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES DECIDED FEBRUARY 29, 1892: The national government, in all three of its branches (judicial, legislative, and executive) departed from the fundamental principle laid down in the Constitution of separation of religion and the state, and gave sanction to religious legislation and to the union of religion and the state ... declaring this is a "religious people "and "a Christian nation,"
William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court Chief Justice for 19 years (1986–2005) states: “But the greatest injury of the 'wall' notion is its mischievous diversion of judges from the actual intentions of the drafters of the Bill of Rights. . . . The ‘wall of separation between church and state’ is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned”
Today 75% of Americans claim that they are Christian. But today Christianity is being attacked from all directions. Foreign religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and even atheism no longer just want acceptance but want to quell Christians and even get rid of them. American Christians have taken such a lax position that it appears they no longer want to submit to God’s wishes, and immorality of all kinds is taking over America. Americans are more interested in getting “things” than furthering the kingdom of Jesus Christ and teaching their children to be god – fearing, god-pleasing children of God. We need to remember that God gave us this great country and He can also take it away. Just read in His Holy Word the Bible to His in the past when they no longer wanted to follow Him. Many feel today that we are not far from losing our beloved America.
It’s time for all Americans, especially our government and leaders, to stress that America is still a Christian and to start living the life God expects of His people. Our public and government places should not only acknowledge but also promote Christianity and do all necessary to further God’s kingdom, as did our forefathers. Certainly there is freedom of religion in America and those who want to practice pagan religions have a right to do so, but they should practice it in the privacy of their homes and not try to impose it on the rest of us Americans. All schools, public and private, should promote only Christianity since we claim to be a Christian nation, and teach our children to be godly and moral citizens.
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Abortion is the act of killing unwanted babies and is prohibited by God.
By definition abortion means “termination before completion.” In the case of an unborn baby, it’s ending his or her life before being born into the world. In 1973 the United States Supreme Court ruled that abortion of babies “for any reason” was legal, and since then over 40 million babies were aborted – and the number increases daily. Women can give any type of reason they want to justify their action, but the end result is the baby loses its life. Just because a few men in our highest court say it’s OK, does that make it right in the eyes of God?
Many women try to lessen their guilt by claiming its not a baby. On one television show, a man made the statement, “one minute it’s a blob, the next minute it’s a baby”. What a stupid idiotic statement! At conception, life begins and the cells multiply rapidly. In a few short weeks, the baby’s body, head, and limbs are formed, and by the 12th week the baby is fully formed. The only thing left is to grow and get ready for birth. That “thing” in the mother’s womb is not just another part of the woman’s body, but a real live baby with its own blood type and own set of chromosomes – all different from the mother’s. God Himself tells us in the Bible that it is a baby in the womb. The same words are used to describe the child IN the womb and OUTSIDE the womb. Personal pronouns are used to describe the child – I, me, or thee, - always referring to a person and not to a thing.
That is a living human being and person inside the mother’s womb whose life she is ending. One can use any terminology they want, but the truth is a baby is being killed. God is the One Who gives life, and only He has the right to end it except in cases that He allows it such as in capital punishment, police, or armed forces. The Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod released a report on abortion and summarized the theological perspective as follows:
The Scriptural principles offered here compel us to regard abortion on demand not only as a sin against the Fifth Commandment forbidding the destruction of human life, but also as a grievous offense against the First – that we worship the one true God and cling to Him alone. The act of abortion clearly manifests a refusal to honor God as the Creator and to seek Him above all else in time of need. It, too, belongs in the list of offenses that illustrate man’s rebellion against the Creator (Romans 1:26-32), summoning wrath from which only God Himself can – and does – deliver us.
A footnote in the same report relate this:
Early Christian writers specifically condemned abortion as a violation of the Biblical prohibition against killing. The first century Epistle of Barnabas states: “You shall not murder a child by abortion, or kill it when it is born.” Similarly, the Didache … says: “Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant.” The ancient church father Tertullian wrote in his Apologeticum: “For us, since homicide is forbidden, it is not even permitted while the blood is being formed into a man to dissolve the conceptus in the uterus. For to prevent its being born is an acceleration of homicide, and there is no difference whether one snuffs out a life already born or disturbs one that is in the process of being born.”
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Capital punishment is sanctioned in the Bible.
Earthly life is a precious gift from God our Creator. He is the One Who gave it and He is the only One Who has the right to take it. However He gives us human beings permission to take another’s life in certain situations such as policemen in the line of duty or soldiers protecting our country. He also tells us we are to take the life of one who has taken the life of another. God holds human life as sacred as we see in the Ten Commandments,
(Exodus 20:13) “You shall not [murder].” But when one murders another, there is a grave penalty to be paid,
(Genesis 9:6) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.)
Certainly we are to love our neighbor, forgive those sin against us, turn the other cheek when someone slaps you, and so on as the Bible tells us, but we also must all remember that there are consequences for our actions. We are not “good” people that sometimes do bad things, but sinners inculcated with original sin. If we reject God’s help and do not let the Holy Spirit lead us in His ways, we will always take paths that will lead us to the snares of sin. Once you no longer hear God and His Word, you have opened your heart and mind to the devil and his ungodly ways. Those who yield to the devil and his ways
bring great harm to God’s creation and the result may end in a terrifying and horrible death to some. No Christian enjoys taking a life, but it may be necessary for the protection and safety of others. Furthermore those who willingly take the life of another need lose their own life as an example to society showing the consequences of murder.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of those who have murdered another, but what about the family, friends, and loved ones of the one who was murdered? We can forgive the murderer, but he must still suffer the consequences of his actions, (Genesis 9:6) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.)
God has blessed us with earthly life and has given us an immortal soul. Our earthly life will end one day but the immortal soul will live eternally either in bliss with God or in torment in hell.
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Sexual promiscuity is not a matter of choice between consenting adults but is strictly forbidden by God.
Sexual immorality is not committed only by married people caught in adultery, but also by the unmarried who indulge in sexual intercourse, as well as those who participate in all types of perverted sexual encounters including homosexuality and bestiality. Not only does God forbid this type of activity, but the participant may find himself burning in the fiery pits eternally:
I Corinthians 6:13, “…The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
I Corinthians 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
I Corinthians 10:8-9, “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did --- and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes.”
Ephesians 5:3, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.”
I Thessalonians 4:3, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;”
I Corinthians 6:9-10, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
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Pornography is to be shunned.
LC-MS World Relief Mercy Notes [Vol 1 Issue 4 Spring 2003] Pornography and Sex Offenders
The NCSAC states that not all sexual addicts become offenders.However, 71% of child molesters are sex addicts, and 55% of imprisoned sex offenders are diagnosable sex addicts. Sexual addiction is progressive, prompting some to victimize others through obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, child molestation, or rape. The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (NCPCF) reports four steps many porn consumers follow – leading to victimizing others:
1. addiction
2. escalation – more explicit and shocking material is required
3. desensitization – material once considered disturbing or deviant becomes acceptable
4. sexual acting out – an increased tendency to act out behaviors viewed in materials
In the Focus on the Family website Pure Intimacy, psychologist Dr. James Dobson recounts in “Fatal Addiction” an interview requested by serial murderer Ted Bundy hours before his January, 1989, execution. Bundy told Dr. Dobson that, without exception, all of the violent inmates he had met in prison were profoundly addicted to pornography. Bundy revealed his own progression through pornography addiction that ultimately led to acting out the violent scenarios he had viewed.
Christ has called us out of darkness to walk in His light, and with His Holy Spirit He purifies our hearts and minds and deeds and relationships. We end with the Word of God.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
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A man and a woman “living together” as husband and wife without being married is prohibited by God.
What About Living Together Without Marriage
by Dr. A. L. Barry President The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Increasingly, men and women choose to live as husband and wife without being married. This pamphlet will answer some questions asked about living together.
What is marriage?
We learn from the Word of God that marriage is the life-long, exclusive union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife. Marriage is a part of God’s creation. Thus, we read in God’s Word, the Bible:
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen.2:24; cf. Matt. 19:5–6; Eph. 5:31).
Elsewhere we read, “Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).
And, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Heb. 13:4).
Marriage is such a precious blessing that God inspired the Apostle Paul to describe marriage as a picture of Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Eph. 5:22–33).
Why is it wrong for a couple to live together without marriage?
Simply stated, a couple that lives together as man and wife without being married is sinning. God’s Word is clear: “You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ...Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Eph. 4:17-19). Our Lord Jesus Christ once helped a woman living with a man who was not her husband to recognize that what she was doing was wrong (John 4:16–18). Lutheran Christians believe that the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” means, “We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do; and husband and wife love and honor each other” (Luther’s Small Catechism [CPH: 1986], p.10). All of this is another way of stating the obvious: Men and women are not to live together as husband and wife, unless they actually are husband and wife. This is as true for 80-year-olds as it is for 18-year-olds.
Why does the church care about what two consenting adults do?
The church cares because God cares. The Lord’s Word is very clear in its condemnation of sexual activity outside of marriage. Consider these passages:
“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers. . . will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).
“Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Eph. 5:3).
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery. . . . I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal.5:19–21).
Why is living together such a serious problem?
Because God’s Word clearly shows that it is sinful for couples to live together without marriage, people who persist in behavior that God rejects and condemns as sin are choosing a course that may lead to eternal punishment. God’s Word is clear:
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left” (Heb. 10:26).
And again, we read: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God. . . . The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thess. 4:3-7).
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