NEWS: Southwest UMC Conference Passes Resolution Supporting 'Marriage Equality'

An annual conference of the United Methodist Church has passed a resolution in support of same-sex marriage, even though the denomination officially deems homosexuality incompatible with Christianity.

The Ariz.-centered Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the UMC passed the resolution Sunday which
expresses both support for same-sex marriage and for clergy who perform gay marriage ceremonies.
"RESOLVED that the Desert Southwest Annual Conference and the United Methodist Churches of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference make a public statement supporting and upholding Marriage Equality," reads the resolution in part.

The Sin of Pride Runs Rampant Behind Pulpits

Ever been uncomfortable with a preacher’s message? Most have at some point. Often that’s the Holy Spirit within ourselves warning us something isn’t right. Church leaders putting their congregation under condemnation and bondage are all too common. This video is hard to watch, but highlights the sin of pride and arrogance that has infected the pulpits of our Churches at large.

Why doesn’t the congregation run out of there you ask? It’s the classic profile of an abuser and the abused. The abuser puts his victim down, hurts them, humiliates them, and destroys their self-esteem—then gives them some comfort. An abuser can’t control their own anger that boils over. They direct it towards the victim, tell them it’s their fault this happened, then pulls them back in, eases their pain slightly, and tells them “it’s all better now.” The abuser becomes the victims’ source of both pain and comfort, which is a cycle that continues over and over.

20 Pearls of Wisdom From The Book of Job

If you're enduring a season of hardship, be encouraged and use this time to build your faith. God is still on the throne and He's in control. Let these 20 pearls of wisdom from the book of Job remind us that God always has the last say in our lives....

Seek God, Not Man

The Bible tells us that as soon as Job received the terrible news about losing his children and his wealth. He immediately responded by seeking God in worship saying, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Honor God by seeking Him early in the midst of your trial. 

 

Hold Fast To Your Integrity

Job never wavered in his integrity. He held firmly to the character of God and focused on Him instead of the current circumstances.

Don't waver; stand firm.

Movie Review: Courageous (2011)

Courageous is a Christian drama film produced in 2011 and directed by Alex Kendrick. It was produced by Sherwood Pictures and released to theaters on the 30th of September, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures and they are the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming was done in Albany, Georgia and concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Sony's Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.

REVIEW: Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

Should I Have a Plan B? - Part 2

Previously we talk about the Part 1 of "Should I Have a Plan B?"


Is it not awesome? I used to say that "so many people know the truth but they do not let it set them free. Now I know better: what they know is the letter, and the letter kills; the real truth is yet to be revealed to them; they do not know the Truth (Jesus) and so He is yet to make them free! "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!" You have to know the truth before He can make you free. An encounter with Jesus is needed. 

Should I Have a Plan B? - Part 1

When people make plans they love to have a plan B; in case the original fails, they can have something to fall back on. Is not this why so many who call themselves Christians tend to compromise, and people also tend to fail?

Jesus asked His disciples, "will ye also leave me?" Peter answered: "Lord, to whom (or to where) shall we go?". He knew who Jesus is, "the way, truth, and life", if he was to leave, to who or what would he (or any other person for that matter) go to? He must have looked around himself and all he could see was blind men who were already dead (because they where sinners) and condemned (because they refused to accept Jesus John 3:18, Mark 16:16 ). He (Peter) knew there was no other way, no other truth (can there be two truths?), and there was no other life except Jesus which is why He told the priests, pharisees and saducces "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name given under heaven among men, where by we must be saved (Acts 4:12)". And am sure he could not reconcile why these people would refuse to believe in Jesus as the Christ and be saved.

Now I understand: He that doeth, let him keep at it

"let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

Revelations 22:11(NIV)

There is only Black and White, no ash; you don't stay on the fence, and there is no fence. The devil lets you see the surface like it allows for compromise, for a common ground between the things that are carnal and the things that are spiritual, for mixing both together, but when you get deeper or get hooked then you realise its only been one or the other all along. At that point it would be very hard for you to back out even though you might want to since you would not want to let go of the things that you have supposedly acquired and accomplish all the while. Joyce Meyer said (and I do agree with her), "the devil does not care about your destruction, he only cares about your distraction". I see a lot of sense in that because if his aim is to (kill, steal and) destroy as the Jesus has said and he knows the only way to accomplish this is to distract then he will definitely put all his resources to distracting you. What do we have in the world today? You look every where and all you see, feel, hear, touch etc is there to distract you, to lure you away from the focus -Jesus, to make you sin. They certainly are only there to fulfil a common aim - TO DESTROY YOU.

Learning To Trust GOD

Many of us too many times find it hard or too difficult to trust God, we find it 'inefficient' and would rather do what we want to do. We, in essence are only showing or trying to prove to God that we are wiser and know better than He does. We find it hard letting God take His place and allowing Him do what things He wants to do in our lives according to His divine plan and purpose for us. Can we really do it better? Definitely not which is why after wasting so much energy, resources, and time we end up going back to Him 'asking Him to forgive us and pleading that He take the wheels'.

Help Is Here

 

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.

—John 14:16

Many people have received Jesus as Savior and Lord. They will go to heaven, but never draw on the full capacity of the Holy Spirit that is available to them or experience the true success God wants them to enjoy on Earth. Simply put, many will be on their way to heaven, but they won’t enjoy the trip.

A Sermon Walking

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. —John 5:19 (NKJV)

I once read a story in a church newsletter that I want to share with you.

In 1949, Time magazine called him “one of the most extraordinary men of modern times.” He won the Nobel Peace Prize. One afternoon, reporters and city officials gathered at a Chicago railroad station to greet him. As passengers disembarked the train, among them was this giant of a man—six-foot-four with a bushy mustache and thick, unruly hair. Cameras flashed. City officials approached him with hands outstretched.