Anyway, enough of my talk. I will now share verses with you that show that someone who has professed belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior can still go to hell if they choose to.

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First of all, Reader, we must retain our faith in the Lord Jesus and continue until the end:

Human beings can live a long time, 100 years or more. We have a beginning (our natural birth), a middle (all the time in between), and an end (our natural death).

I don't know why people teach that as long as a person "professes" to believe in Jesus for a couple seconds somewhere in the middle, that that person is eternally sealed, no matter what. If that were true, then why is the bible filled with verses that speak on continuing on with the Lord Jesus Christ UNTIL THE END?

Hebrews 3:14, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."

Hebrews 3:6, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we,if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

Jesus Himself said in John 15:6, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

John 8:31, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

In the verses above, Jesus didn't tell them, "Now that you have come forward and professed belief in me, ye are my disciples." No. He said, "If ye CONTINUE in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed."

2 John 1:9, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."

Romans 11:22, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

Yes, Jesus' shed blood saves all those who in faith call on Him, but we must keep our faith until the end. Is that works salvation? No. Colossians 1:20-23 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.."

Do you remember when there was a storm at sea in Acts 27:31 and Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved"? Well, in a similar way, Jesus is our "ship" that we must abide in to be saved. He is the "Captain of our salvation" (Hebrews 2:10).

And to abide means to remain, to continue, to be firm and immovable. We must abide with Christ UNTIL THE END!

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Is it possible for someone who once believed in the Lord to stop believing? Yes.

How many times have you tried to tell someone about the Lord, and they responded, "Oh, I used to believe that stuff. I used to go to church. I've read the bible. But I don't believe that stuff anymore"?

Or maybe someone had a calamity happen in his or her life, and now they have lost faith. They don't care anything about Jesus Christ. Their heart is hard.

It is not enough to believe for a second or "well, I used to believe." If that is all you have, even the devils have more faith than you, for we know that the devils "believe, and tremble" (James 2:19) but they are not saved. Read what the bible says about those who have stopped believing:

Revelation 21:7-8 "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Luke 8:11-15 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

Hebrews 4:1-3 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."

Romans 11:18-23, "Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again."

Hebrews 3:12-19 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Yes, a person can stop believing. And you would agree, would you not, that for a person to be saved, a person must believe? We all know John 3:16, 18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

We show our true saving faith and belief by continuing to believe always!

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These verses show that there will be those believers who fall away from the Lord:

Hebrews 10:38-39, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

For someone to DRAW BACK, that person obviously went forward in the first place.

1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

These people started out as Christians, maybe they even came up at an altar call, but they were not eternally sealed and saved, were they?

Hebrews 6:4-6, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

Again, for them to have been partakers of the Holy Ghost and to "fall away" they must have been saved at one point.

Here is an important point: People correctly state that God gives us free will to come to Him, but then they erroneously imply that God will force us to stay with Him once we say "the sinner's prayer." Being a Christian does not mean that you have a Lifetime Membership into God's club, whether you want that membership or not. Our gracious Lord will not force Himself upon anyone who does not want a relationship with Him. Yes, God's grace is sufficient, and God promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, but we are more than capable of leaving Him and forsaking Him.

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For those who say, "Well, all of those people were never really saved in the first place," I beg to differ.

Why would the Lord give verse after verse, speaking to believers, about the dangers of falling away, the peril of not believing, and the importance of continuing to the end? Because there is a real possibility of being saved and yet still choosing sin over salvation. Read this warning:

Hebrews 10:26-27, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

This verse is obviously not merely speaking of someone who has casually heard of Jesus or someone who has been to church a couple of times or someone who is still undecided about matters of salvation. This is speaking of people who have RECEIVED the knowledge of the truth. Paul was speaking to the brethren, to fellow believers!

When I have stamped something RECEIVED at the office, it is because I have full possession of it. I have accepted the thing offered or sent. Here is a definition of the word RECEIVED: taken; accepted; admitted; allowed in; embraced; believed. Friend, read the above verse again. Let it sink in. That verse is talking to the brethren, and it ain't saying once saved, always saved!

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Now, am I saying that if you have walked with the Lord for years and then had a momentary lapse on Monday, (perhaps you had anger in your heart or you told a lie) and then on Tuesday morning you die before you had a chance to repent of your sin and ask God for forgiveness that you are now destined for hell because you died in your sin? Of course not. God knows those who are truly His. But there is a difference between wilfully sinning with the attitude of, "hey, once saved, always saved," when compared to the person who is truly striving to live the way the Lord would have them live; a person who is convicted of sin and does all within their power to NOT sin. Again, I must stress that I know that we do not save ourselves by our good works, but the bible does repeatedly say that if we are truly saved, there will be evidence of that in the way we live our lives. And if you insist on choosing to sin, maybe (1) you are not really saved in the first place or, (2) you love your sin more than the one who you claim is your Savior.

As Paul said, this Christian walk is a race, and those who finish the race will receive the crown. Yes, there are those who start the race late, for example, the thief on the cross. But even he repented as much as he was able. He went from being someone who was unbelieving and mocking the Lord to someone who believed with all of his heart and loudly defended the Lord. Friend, are you even running this Christian race as the Lord would have you run, or are you on cruise control, comfortably sinning and blindly believing that God will force you to remain with Him? Have ye resisted unto blood, striving against sin, or do you believe that you have license to sin because you said some (possibly meaningless) words at an altar call?

Sadly, there are many folks who are being convinced by churches and well-meaning preachers that they are saved and don't have a care in the world, when that is just not true.

Why don't preachers tell the congregation the whole truth? Is it because they want to be popular? They want their numbers to grow? They don't think the pew sitters would like hearing these things? I don't know. But instead of coddling the people and assuring them that "Once saved, Always saved," find out why these people are so worried about losing their salvation in the first place. Maybe they know of the sinful things they are doing in secret and the Holy Spirit is convicting them. Stop quenching the warning by your blanket statements of security, and instead show them what God's Word says about holiness, righteousness. Show them where God's Word says that we can have victory over all sin. Show them verses that speak on staying the course. As a matter of fact, if you don't want to share ALL of the bible's truths with them, maybe you should not be preaching at all!

Well, I hope you will think twice before you repeat that catch phrase, "Once saved, Always saved." Maybe instead you should quote these powerful words: 2 Peter 1:10, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail."

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If you are not tired of reading, here are some closing verses for your consideration:

Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Matthew 10:22 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Revelation 2:26, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:"

Revelation 3:5, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."

Revelation 2:7, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Revelation 21:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

WOMEN CHANGED BY JESUS

One great thing about the Bible is that although it is filled with different people from a different time, it speaks to each and every one of us right where we are today. In this paper I want to introduce you to three different women -- three women who met Jesus and their lives were forever changed for the better. But first let me ask you this:

(1) Are you a crooked woman? Have you done some things that if you had to face God right now, you would not be able to hold your head up proudly?

(2) Do you have a lot of personal issues? Have you been running here and there trying to find the one thing that would be the answer to all of your problems?

(3) Have you done some sinful things that you are ashamed of? Are you living in sin right now?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then maybe one of these women that you are about to read about will speak to your heart. And maybe you will come to see that you, too, need to meet Jesus, as these women did.


The first story is about a woman who was crooked. Now, I don't mean that she was doing things that were illegal or dishonest. This woman's body was actually bent over and crooked. But even though your body may not be crooked and bent, some of you maybe can relate to this woman because you haven't been living your lives as straight as you should.

Here are some examples of some "crooked" behavior: Are you someone who lies so much that it has become second nature? You lie on your taxes, you lie to your boss, and you lie to your husband? Sure, to you they are just little white lies, but they are lies nonetheless.

Or maybe you steal. You haven't ever robbed a bank, but maybe you steal "small" stuff. For example, that illegal cable that you've got hooked up, or those bootlegged videos that you buy. And what about sneaking your children into the movies at the kid's price, when you know darned well that your child is already a teenager. And remember that time that cashier gave you too much change or did not charge you for an item in your basket? Well, when you kept your mouth shut about it and walked out the store feeling as though it was your lucky day, you were stealing and walking crooked.

So if you now see that your walk has been a little bit crooked, let's read about another crooked woman:

Luke 13:10-12, "And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God."

For 18 years this woman was walking crooked. How many years has it been for you? How long have you been rebelliously doing things your way? Personally, I spent about 14 years living a crooked life.

When you are living a crooked life, it can be fun for a while. But the thing that you may not realize is that sin has a price. Romans 6:23 tells us. "For the wages of sin is death." And Galatians 6:7 says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Some of us have been walking crooked so long, that we don't even have a guilty conscience about it anymore. But someday you will face God and be accountable for every crooked act that you thought you got away with. You will reap what you have sown.

Don't you know that when you sin and live a crooked life, you end up wasting your time? You are settling for the devil's trinkets when perhaps God wants to unloose you and really show you His power. You are letting Satan rule you and you may not even know it. This woman in the Bible could not enjoy life to the fullest because of her crooked condition, and neither will you if you continue on that way. Don't you want Jesus to set you free and straighten out your life? He is waiting to tell you the words, "Woman, thou art loosed." You don't have to be crooked. You can choose to be free and upright. Meet Jesus and let Him straighten out the crooked areas of your life.

And if you have already met Jesus heart to heart, you need to do what this woman did. The end of that verse said, "And she glorified God." Christian woman, glorify God in all that you do!


Now let's read about the next woman. This was a woman who had some problems, and she spent a lot of time and money going from this person to that person trying to find the answers. But one day she finally came to the one and only person who can truly help you to solve your problems, Jesus.

Mark 5:24-28, "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."

How many of us are like this woman was at first? She spent all that she had going to this physician and that physician trying to be healed of her problem. We, too, have problems, "issues" in our life, and we run here and there trying to find a solution: "Maybe this relationship will make me happy. Maybe this money will bring me joy. Maybe getting high or drunk will make my problems go away. Maybe I won't be lonely if I have sexual relations with him. Maybe speaking to a therapist will help me sort out my life. Maybe if I go back to school, I will feel worthwhile. Maybe if I just keep busy, I won't see how empty my life really is." Just like this woman, we try everything but the Lord.

But then this woman came to her senses. It took 12 years, but then she finally said, If I go to Jesus and just touch the hem of His garment, I know I will be made whole. Let's see what happened once she went to Jesus.

Mark 5:29-34, "Straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, 'Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

If Jesus is your Lord, you need to have the faith that this woman finally had and take all of your cares and concerns to Christ. Stop trying to fix things your way. Your way is the wrong way. And stop going to all of those other folks to find fulfillment. That confused therapist can't help you. That godless man you are so wrapped up in doesn't love you the way Jesus will. That book or manual from school doesn't even have the answer. You don't need a manual. You need Immanuel!

And here is some more good news for you: If you are still carrying the emotional scars because your earthly father made you feel worthless, Jesus is ready to call you "daughter." Go to Jesus. Ask Him to adopt you into His family and become a child of God. The Lord will hear you when you call. He will feel you when you share your heart with Him. And He will put back together the broken pieces of your life and make you whole.

And, woman, if you don't yet know Jesus, you need to meet Him today!


And now let's look at one final woman. This woman was a known prostitute. She was looked down upon in the city. But she, too, sought out Christ, because she knew that He had the power to change her life. 

Luke 7:37-38, "And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment."

How many of us women have been prostituting ourselves with some old sorry man? We do it for love or we do it for material gain. Either way, if you are having sex outside of marriage, the Bible calls that behavior fornicating, and the Bible calls you a whore. If that man does not want you to be his wife, you don't need to be with him!

Well, the prostitute we read about in Luke finally saw her sins for what they really were and went to seek out Jesus. She did not care what other people thought of her -- the Pharisee or anybody else. She knew they would talk about her behind her back, but getting to Jesus was the most important thing to her. She was ready to humble herself at Jesus' feet.

Reader, are you letting the opinions of certain people keep you from admitting your need for Jesus? Maybe you know that your life isn't right, but you are too scared of what folks might think if you suddenly started talking about your need for Jesus, so you say and do nothing. Maybe your family or your boyfriend are not Christians, and you don't want them to think that you have suddenly gone "holy." Or maybe you just don't go to Jesus because you don't want to give up the "benefits" of your whoredom. Don't you realize that Jesus will love you more and give you more of the things that really matter than any man here on earth?

But be warned, Jesus said if you are ashamed of Him here on earth, He will be ashamed of you when He stands before His Father in heaven.

And, if you are already a Christian woman, here is a question for you: Does your faith show publicly, or are you an undercover Christian? Are you so busy trying to be politically correct and so sold out to this world, that the Lord can't even use you?

Well, this woman in the Bible cried real tears of repentance. She saw her life and knew the mistakes she had made and was ready to make a change. She realized that Jesus would accept her if she humbled herself. She had heard of Christ's love.

Well, let's see how the hypocritical Pharisee responded and what Jesus said of the woman.

Luke 7:39, "When the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner.

"And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he (Simon) saith, Master, say on.

"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed 500 pence, and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

"Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.

"And he (Jesus) said unto him, thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

"He said unto her, thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he (Jesus) said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

Again, this woman realized how big of a sinner she was, and when she saw Jesus, she was not ashamed to fall at His feet and worship Him. She did not care what other people thought of her. She knew that Jesus had the power to forgive her of her sins. And she loved him so much for forgiving her, that she publicly humbled herself before him.

But that verse says, "To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." So if you have not yet humbled yourself at Jesus' feet, maybe it is because you don't realize how much you deserve hell. Have you ever really looked at your life and saw yourself for the sinner you are? Have you ever realized how much God has forgiven you for and that He hasn't punished you as you deserve to be punished? If your love for the Lord is not great -- so great that your life has been transformed -- maybe it is because you don't have a clue about the sacrifice Christ made or what He has done on your behalf.

Woman, you cannot wash Christ's feet, but you can worship Him by the way you live your life. Turn from your wicked ways, ask for the Lord's forgiveness, and then go out into the world and make the Lord proud. Your life will never truly have peace until you do what all of these women did and get right with God. Let Jesus change you!

HOMOSEXUALITY (ENGAGING IN SODOMY AND LESBIANISM)

Nowadays homosexuality seems to be everywhere. It seems almost fashionable to be homosexual or at least bisexual. If you say anything is wrong with homosexual behavior, people will label you homophobic or say that you are judgmental. There are so-called gay pride parades, gay pride rainbow stickers and license plate frames, TV shows with homosexual characters. The world has even come up with some wonderful sounding terms for the people who participate in this activity. "Alternate lifestyle," "Life partners." Yes, the world will tell you that homosexuality is totally normal and something to be proud of.

But God's Word tells us something totally different about homosexual behavior. And no matter what the world says about homosexuality or how "open minded" people of this earth become, God has not changed in how He feels about men lying with men, and women lying with women. So if you have traded in God's standards of living and begun to believe what this world tells you, look out!

And by writing this paper, I do not mean to single out or condemn homosexuals just because of their lifestyle. All of God's laws that have been broken, whatever the sin -- be it the sin of lust or the sin of idolatry -- will be judged and answered for when a person faces God on Judgment Day. I do not believe that I am more righteous just because my sins might be different.

With that said, in this paper, I will use Bible verses to answer frequently asked questions about homosexuality. Here are the topics that will be covered:

(1) Is homosexuality a sin?

(2) How does the Bible define homosexuality?

(3)Why is homosexuality a sin?

(4) Do genetics cause homosexuality?

(5) Can someone practice homosexuality and still love Christ?

Just as your body gets old and begins to deteriorate, the standards of this world are deteriorating every day. But God's Word has not and will not change! Let's see what the Bible says on this issue.

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(1) IS HOMOSEXUALITY A SIN?

Yes, homosexuality is a sin. Leviticus 18:22 reads, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." That is stated as plainly and clearly as you can get. The Bible commands us that we are not to have intercourse with people of our same sex. It is not only a sexual sin, but it is an abomination (something that is impure and illicit in God's eyes).

The verse does not say that homosexuality is okay if you are in a loving, committed relationship. It states that you shall not do it, period! We find a similar verse in Leviticus 20:13. It reads, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

The earliest account of homosexuals can be found in the book of Genesis, Chapter 19. The place was the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. Similar to our time today, Sodom and Gomorrah were places where all kinds of sexual habits were practiced. The people of that place had turned their backs on God's laws and did whatever their wicked minds told them to do. God eventually destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their wicked ways.

The verses above from Leviticus are in a section of the Bible that lists immoral acts and the penalties for them. Homosexual activities are listed right alongside other immoral acts such as having sex with animals, incestuous relationships, adultery, etc. God does not say that this behavior is something that you should have "gay pride" about. God calls it a sexual sin and says that because of such practices, the nations in the land were being cast out. Leviticus 18:24, 30 reads, "Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God."

Are you going to believe the world and continue thinking that homosexuality is perfectly okay, or are you going to believe the One who created you?

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(2) HOW DOES THE BIBLE DEFINE HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR?

People in our generation are as bad as if not worse than the people from Sodom and Gomorrah. People are trading in God's laws and making up their own rules and worshipping the god of self by doing whatever they want to do instead of doing the things that God says are right. But God will not force His righteous truths on you. If you want to practice immorality by taking part in homosexuality, God will not stop you from sinking lower and lower in your perversion. But ultimately there will be a price to pay if you do not turn from your sin and seek God.

Let's read what the Bible says about homosexual behavior and see how God feels when we turn our backs on His laws and embrace an "anything goes" attitude:

Romans 1:24-28, "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly (shameful), and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient."

Here the Bible shows us that homosexuality is defined as something that is unclean, a dishonoring of the body, a vile passion, something that is against nature and unnatural, shameful, something that occurs when you have a mind that has sunken to a place away from God. It is an act that people engage in when they do not retain God in their knowledge and when they have changed the truth of God for a lie.

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(3) WHY IS HOMOSEXUALITY A SIN?

Let's start with the question what is sin? Sin is when we know that something is against the law and will of God and we continue to practice it anyway. We have already read that according to the law of God, homosexual behavior is a sin. It is an unnatural practice. It is an abomination in God's eyes. It is against God's natural order.

God created men to be husbands of wives, and women to be wives of husbands. That is God's natural order. When God sought to make a suitable mate for man, He created woman. Genesis 2:24-25 shows us this when referring to the first husband and wife, Adam and Eve. It reads, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

And Ephesians 5:28,33, "So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself."

The only sexual relationships that have God's blessing are that of a husband and wife. Any sexual relationship that is outside of this is a sin. And homosexuality is labeled a sin and an abomination.

Also, we know that homosexuality is a sin and that it is against what God wants people to do. This is evident in the fact that homosexuals cannot reproduce. The one way that we humans get to be like God is by our God-given ability to create, to reproduce. Two men alone together could never create a baby, and two women alone together could never create a baby because what they are doing is not of God.

So, again, homosexuality is a sin because the person is willingly choosing to engage in behavior that is against what God would have him or her do.

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(4) DO GENETICS CAUSE HOMOSEXUALITY?

Some people will say, "But I was born this way. Since I was a child I was attracted to members of the same sex." To that I will say no, you were born a sinner and that at a young age your sin started to manifest itself. When I was perhaps six, I can distinctly remember going to a store and stealing from the store. I shoplifted for many years after that as well. Does that mean that I was genetically just a born thief or that my behavior should be accepted because I had had those feelings since my childhood? Of course not. Stealing was a sin I committed. It was not who I was.

And even if so-called experts try to tell you that there is some kind of "homosexual gene," remember that these are sinful men telling you sinful tales. Be careful when you start to listen to and believe the men of this world instead of believing what God's Word tells you. This world will tell you that murdering babies is okay. It even gives the act a pleasant term, "pro choice." This world will tell you that alcoholism and drug abuse is okay and that you just "have a disease." This world will even tell you that there is no God and that you came from a monkey. The Bible warns us of such people. Isaiah 5:20 reads "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

God's Word says that God created you and that homosexuality is wrong. God would not have created you as a homosexual and then called homosexuality an abomination. So who are you going to obey? "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

And for those people out there who try to say, "Well, some people are born with male and female body parts" (hermaphrodites), to that I say you cannot use that as justification for you to engage in homosexual activities. Some people were also born as Siamese twins. If a Siamese twin gets married and has sexual relations, the act would have to involve three people being present, both twins and the spouse, but does that mean that God gives His approval to group sex? Of course not! God is going to judge each of us according to who we are, not according to how He created someone else.

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(5) CAN SOMEONE PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY AND STILL LOVE CHRIST?

Jesus said in John 14:15, 23-24, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings."

So I would say that if you truly love Christ, you would want to do what pleases him. And as we have already read, homosexuality does not please the Lord.

And 1 John 2:4 reads, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." And 1 John 1:5-6 reads, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."

Christ said that you are either for Him or against Him. You cannot pick and choose the parts of the Bible that you like and then ignore the parts that don't fit your lifestyle. God will give you the strength that you need to overcome your homosexual desires, but you have to love the Lord enough to turn from that sin. You cannot have it both ways. "If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:26-27). You have read the truth. Are you going to continue wilfully sinning?

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I don't write these things to judge anyone. But as a Christian, I believe what God's Word tells me. And I care enough about each of you to share with you God's truth.

THE "SPIRIT" BEHIND" CHRISTMAS



 By  Brother Kim Gossett 

Lead Elder, New Covenant Christian Center, Int'l

http://www.newcovenantchristiancenter.com/

What does the following pagan practice remind you of?




Jeremiah 10:2-5
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen... For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.


"THE SPIRIT "BEHIND" CHRISTMAS"

Introduction:

November 5, 1997

To the Elders in the Faith;

Praise the Lord and God bless you on this day. We are called as "Elders" in the faith to stand on and represent the principles concerning the Kingdom of God. I address this cover letter to all men that are "called" by our Heavenly Father to represent the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a day where the scriptures expressly tell us of perilous times and where doctrines of devils and seducing spirits will lead beloved saints FROM the faith once delivered unto them. We are called as Elders to Shepherd the flock and take oversight (Bishop Ministry) which protects the soul from such deception.

We must remember to not "substitute" views, opinions, emotions or feelings, for Paul warned us in Col.2:8 about how men would spoil the saints with traditions, vain deceits and philosophies which are after the rudiments of the world and NOT after Christ. Jesus Christ himself warned his disciples about the leaven of Pharisees (men's doctrines, views and opinions) which made the Holy Word of God of none effect (Mt.15:1-10 and Mt.16:1-3) It is therefore of the utmost reverence and fear of the living God that we as men of God should by all means speak truth and only truth, of which there is only one truth and that is the Word of God. "Shall we now persuade men or God? Should we please men? If we please men then we should NOT be the servants of Jesus Christ". Sound like strong words? Read Gal.1:10

You have heard much, I am sure, these last few years about different aspects of the Christmas Holiday. I would ask you all in Jesus precious name to please read this in detail and with an open heart. Everything spoken is FACTUAL TRUTH and SPIRITUAL TRUTH. The "Spirit" behind this, which you will read about as it is exposed, is one of blasphemy, lasciviousness and sexual perversion. The question is, what will we do with it? Jesus said in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, yet do not the things I say"? If we truly love Jesus we will keep HIS word and offer no strange fire before HIM.

Now to you men of God out there who stand before the children of God as faithful shepherds and Elders, this I ask. As Born-Again, spirit-filled men of God, would you allow someone in your church to: Pray the Rosary? I pray not—you would bring correction. Would you allow someone to Pray to Mary, pray the dead OUT of Purgatory, pray to saints , pray to IDOLS allow someone to lift up the Pope as the vicar of Christ in the earth? I pray not—you would bring correction. WHY would you then allow someone to observe Christmas? It comes from the SAME church!! The SAME spirit!! The SAME roots as the Rosary, Mary worship, Purgatory, Idols. Why would you not allow all the others but EXPLAIN away Christmas?

Think about it. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Do you fear men or God? Speak truth I pray, unto the saints and set them free.. If we are called to speak and live on the Word of God, then why do we observe this thing called Christmas, when it was never recorded, observed or mentioned in the Bible? Since when are we as men of God to bring things to our beloved brethren that are not founded or built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ who is the Word of God? I desire to be a wise-masterbuilder (I Cor.3) and I will take heed to how I build.

There are no views and opinions here. The Pharisees (Religious Elders) stood on the street corners every day beckoning people with the love of God.. These are the very ones who ended up gnashing their teeth and crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8:40-44, they were the ones who said their father was God in heaven, yet Jesus said their father was the devil! Who is our Father, I pray we know? It was in John 6:66 (666-the number of man) where many disciples walked with HIM no more due to HIS hard sayings. They followed "THEIR" ways. Prayerfully this is not a hard saying for you.

It is going to take loving, caring and strong men of God in this hour to build the Kingdom of God.. Where is the preaching today that turns the world upside down, causes gnashing of teeth, stoning, and being driven from cities? That is the way the Book of Acts was recorded.

The Kingdom of God DID NOT give us Christmas, but "Christianity" did. The Roman Catholic Church gave us this idolatry.. We know that John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles NEVER preached "Christianity"—they preached the Kingdom of God. The name "Christian" was not given to a believer of Jesus, but a DISCIPLE of Jesus Christ—Acts 11. A disciple obeys his master.. Jesus said ONE way, ONE truth, ONE life and ONE door. Christianity alone has over 250 different dogmas and doctrines and denominations in America alone. May we see the truth of many going one way, few and a remnant finding the Kingdom of God.

I would pray you all would honestly search your hearts after reading this. Please do not put it down or throw it away without first reading it through. Let not your soul man sway you because of our "traditions". Remember why the very first Doctrine of Christ was "Repentance from DEAD WORKS". May we forever be blessed, and may you have the strength to stand before the saints of God and speak truth. Remember, Prove all things. God Bless you.

I would love to hear from you. If you feel I error in truth, then please bring correction to me, for I am willing to repent (change my way of thinking), but remember that all correction and instruction MUST be by the Word of God. (II Tim.3:15-17) Enjoy this teaching and please do not be offended by some of the things you will read about the sexual perversion behind this thing. E-mail Bro. Kim Gossett.