Sometimes looking back can become a window to the future. This year The Porch and The Pew turn the clock back to December of 2021. This Christmas my post for the Back Porch will be from a blog written in 2021. 

Christmas is that time of the year that always confronts me with conflicting emotions. There is of course the secular joy of the season, the excitement of the children and I might add that at this time of year there is always a little child in all of us. Bright lights, decorations of red and green…you know the song. I do, for what reason I am not sure, look at Christmas from both secular and Christian Views. The very fact that this phenomenon incorporates both a strong religious history as well as having become a commercial success gives it two very different areas of influence. Over the years I have become less focused on the secular aspects and customs of Christmas. I have also developed an awareness of some of those things that the brightly wrapped  presents and a tree along with the extensive amount of decorating we do to visually create that Christmas Joy… a special feeling that we attribute to that special time of the year. They also have awoken other feelings that come with a new awareness. There are so many people that are left behind in the joy of the family gatherings, the bright lights, the rush to find just the right gift for someone special, the preparation of that Christmas dinner…then the inevitable…that little twinge of disappointment when Christmas Day comes to an end.

Some thoughts from the believers side of Christmas. You might be surprised to know that this War on Christmas is not a new thing. There is a lot of history involved here and would make for a long read…but for time and space just a couple of facts from history.com . 

“By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated.” 

What followed I don’t think they anticipated. Well, Christmas did gain a lot more attention, Christians believers started to attend church on Christmas Day…that’s a good thing. It is what follows that which is unusual. They then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi Gras. There is more to that after church celebration that is best left unsaid. It wasn’t the Grinch who cancelled Christmas. Let’s go back to history.com  for the answer to that and it wasn’t any of the Woke group, it was Oliver Cromwell, and his Puritan forces who took over England in 1645. They vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. When the Pilgrims, who were even more orthodox than Cromwell came to early America they did the same thing. Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681 Christmas was outlawed in Boston! It is interesting to note that according to Captain John Smith, Christmas was enjoyed by all without incident. Today the Christmas story has in many ways been marginalized by cultural and societal  customs and traditions. So long ago the Birth of our savior Jesus Christ was tied to church, cultural and societal traditions that in my opinion made it a part of, as we have become to say…The Reason For The Season. The birth of the Christ Child is not a seasonal thing. It has transcended time from that night in Bethlehem to this very day and will continue on as a sign of God’s love of his people and Creation…John 3:16…

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

I have in these older years of my life come to detach the birth of God’s Son from “Tis the reason for the season” …The birth God  incarnate, God among us, well that stands alone. Enjoy Christmas but know this…all the bright lights, presents, and brightly decorated trees…They can never shine as bright as that Star in that Bethlehem Sky on that night so long ago.

Merry Christmas!

Kurt

The more I read Luke’s account of our Savior’s conception and birth I learn something new every time. We have become so accustomed to the words over the years that there is a familiarity that paints the picture in monochrome, lacking the vivid color and excitement of an event that would change this world forever. There is so much to be considered here in this story…The census was a pivotal point in the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and the census was predominantly for taxation purposes. What is remarkable about this is that this particular one was a part of the documentation that provides the information needed to date this and is from actual census documents written on papyrus and then discovered in the dust-heaps of Egyptian towns and villages and in the sands of the desert. Without going to deep into detail we know there was an actual government edict from Egypt that every man had to go to his own city to be enrolled. This nails down Bethlehem as the place… Now for the trip. Best estimates are that the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was eighty miles and accommodation for those who travel was most primitive. Inns at best in that day and time were not very clean and weren’t all that safe. There was no major road that traversed the area that Mary and Joseph would travel and at best they might make about 10 miles a day. Enough said…now to the trip itself.

Sometimes words are just not enough, thus the saying that a “picture is worth a thousand words”….. and since there are no actual pictures from that time we are reduced to just the words. Fortunately we do have written records of that time, and there are biblical archeologists whose studies print a vivid picture in our mind and of course theological based studies of the lives people led in those times. Matthew and Luke were rather sparse in their words used to describe the difficulties and challenges such a trip would present to Joseph and Mary.  After a demanding trip to Bethlehem and finding room only in a cave that was being used to stable live stock, what would this trip had been like for Mary and the child in her womb. Most of us have a very firm picture in our minds of what Mary was like. An alabaster complexion, clothed in ornate robes whose hands had never seen a day of ordinary household work. But in reality Mary was an ordinary Palestinian Jewish girl, poor and as we have come to learn of extraordinary faith and abilities. Truth is Mary would have been no different from other Jewish woman of her place and time. Her day would be one of tedious chores and duties to be done, having none of the modern every day technology available to aid her. She would start at sunrise or maybe a bit sooner preparing a meal, then there would be water that needed to be brought in, carried by hand in jars or wine skins. The water would be used for drinking, cleaning, bathing and washing clothes. Ground wheat-flour and other food ingredients had to be gathered and of course firewood to cook with and heat to provide warmth in the cold mornings and evenings. All of these things would require, as some estimate, at least ten hours of work. I think we can say she had to be strong and efficient. Joseph was a carpenter and his day began at sunup and would last till there was no light left to work by. I imagine his face would be of a ruddy complexion, with lines reflecting the responsibility of family and providing for them. His hands would be the rough calloused hands of a working man. He would be a strong and resilient man. Further more it very likely that both Mary and Joseph were, as many of the people of that time illiterate to some degree. Because of where they lived it is possible they had limited knowledge of some Greek and Latin. They most likely lived in a small complex, four small one room houses with dirt floors which were connected by a shared courtyard for cooking and other daily needs. Most of these complexes were shared with kin. It would have been a good thing because the women would be able to help each other with water, wood and other needs. It was not an easy world to live in. They were taxed by both the Temple and the Roman government and people of bad intent were all about them.

Moving to the journey they were about to make it could not be said that they did not know the dangers of taking such a trip, not to mention that Mary was heavy with child at this time.  Mary and Joseph were aware of all the dangers of such a trip. They would have to travel about eighty miles and at best given her condition ten miles a day would be all they really could expect. There would be wild animals, bandits and desert robbers to contend with. Weather would also be a factor as temperatures in winter in this area would be a bone chilling 41 degrees at night and rise into the high forties during the day. I don’t know why but I have always read or been told that the desert temperatures at night felt much colder than you would think. They would have had to have warm clothing, build a fire each night to protect themselves from predators and of course to keep warm as they rested. Their provisions would have consisted of bread, herbs, oil and some dried fish. Water was carried in wineskins. Yet all these things did not intimidate Joseph or Mary.

Some of this may seem redundant  but no matter how many times I read or tell the story I always learn something new. In this Advent season we have the opportunity and the time to prepare for this birth of the Christ Child. Joseph and Mary might have had some time themselves but the trip to Bethlehem was not planed at their leisure. It was dangerous and the added burden of Marry’s pregnancy added to the hardships of an unexpected trip at a most inconvenient time. So from that I take this thought…Our faith, our God is not one of convenience, we are called to serve at his pleasure with the assurance that He will provide our needs. 

Life is Good

jk

Some of the best times I have spent in the last 20 years were right in my own back yard. It will soon be almost five years since Pat and I moved to be closer to our daughter due to health problems that were becoming harder for us to adjust to as we got older. So…you might say I have a new back yard but oh how I miss my old back yard. This week I got off the porch, well in my mind and memory and went back a few years to White Water Center, on highway 64 E of Cleveland Tn. That was part of by old back yard. Here also was located Big Frog, a mountain located primarily in southeastern Tennessee in the Big Frog Wilderness, within the Cherokee National Forest. It is located within the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains. All of this within 30 minutes or less of my home and to make it even sweeter just 8 miles from my home was Red Clay State Park. Located near Cleveland in Bradley County, it is along the Tennessee-Georgia state line about 17 miles east of Chattanooga. It is part of the Trail of Tears and was a part of their council grounds and meeting place for the Cherokee Nation at one time. Blue Hole Spring, a natural landmark in the park, was used by the Cherokee for their water supply during council meetings. 

Br’er Rabbit, a character from the Disney movie “Song of The South” said every body needed a “happy place”…Welcome to mine…all three. To me the mountains are about as close as you can get to God, well you know what I mean. The majesty of the mountains and the peace I find in being there is to me the clearest example of what our God created. Scripture tells us that as God looked at his creation on that sixth day… He said “it is good”… There in those mountains I found a peace I have yet to capture anywhere else. How I miss all of that and to think it was all there, all around me. I spent a lot of time there but never enough. My wish is that you not pass over or by the treasures of your back yard. Enjoy, relish and be thankful for what God has provided right in your backyard.

jk

You have heard said many times I am sure “you just can’t make this stuff up.” Here is an excerpt from last week’s blog.

“We cannot pass over the stories of other people who were touched by God in the preparation for this wonderful coming and birth of our Lord. Zechariah and his encounter with the angel Gabriel and the news that God would bless he and Elizabeth with the birth of a son, their only child…we will come to know him as John the Baptist. It is written…Romans 8:28 NIV  28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This week we meet the Shepherds in the field and the Angels in the Heavens. Like all things of God, there is order and a purpose to all His actions. The Angels visit with Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth and in time others that would set this night and this birth apart from all others and change the world forever is a journey of wonder and faith. We start in a field in an Arab village of Beit-Sahur, which sits in the middle of the Booz fields mentioned in the book of Ruth (Ruth 3:5). By tradition it is known as the Shepherds Field, it is said it was here that the announcement of the angels of the birth of Christ to the Shepherds took place. The scripture written in Luke 2:8-12 paints a very clear picture of awe mixed with fear of the uncertainty of the moment and is a good example of the majesty of any and all things that are truly of God. We are given a very important insight into the lives of these shepherds in those verses. “Living in the fields, watching over their flocks by night”, gives us the understanding that this is a 7day, 24hr endeavor. It is a subtle reminder to those of the faith that our God is always with us. Later in this blog some little known facts about those shepherds. It is amazing how God knows the hearts of those he uses to bring His will to the people. The shepherds were not content with just hearing these words of the angels, they went in search of the baby…the Christ Child. But they were not content with just that…they did not worry what others might say, they went out and told others what they saw and what the angels told them to tell the people. Thus The Revelation that the Christ is born…God incarnate among us. What an amazing revelation and God chose the simplest among us to share it with the world.

Now some things about these shepherds. Orthodox people of the day despised the shepherds because the demands of their job made them unable to keep the details of the ceremonial law. They could not observe all the meticulous hand washings and rules and regulations due to the constant demands on them; and so the orthodox looked down on them. It was to simple men of the fields that God’s message first came. It should also be noted that most likely these were not just ordinary shepherds and the flock they looked after were no ordinary sheep. It was necessary that an unblemished lamb was offered as a sacrifice each morning and evening. The Temple authorities to be sure these were available had their own private sheep flocks and they were pastured near Bethlehem. William Barclay wrote…“that the shepherds who looked after the Temple lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” We end this blog with a note about the Angles…It was a custom of those times that when a boy was born musicians gathered at the house to great him with simple music. In the case of the birth of the Christ Child, William Barclay wrote…“It is lovely to think that the minstrelsy of heaven took the place of the minstrelsy of earth, and angels sang the songs for Jesus that the earthly singers could not sing.” 

Join us here in the Pew next week as we continue to discover the The People of Advent.

Life is Good 

jk

This is the Holiday Season, which in some odd way led me to ponder about certain days. Bit chilly on the porch but I can’t seem to stay in to much, got to get a touch of that fresh air to remind me I got a few days left in these old bones. The difference between a holiday and a day… Now I wasn’t to sure but to me a holiday is a break, a day off, sometimes as a means of celebrating some special occasion, our Government is awash with Holidays. There are about nine of these government celebrations each year. What got me onto this is that today Thursday, Dec 7…is Pearl Harbor Day… most of these special days are not about celebrating but about Remembrance… and each year they seem to fade away just a little bit more. On that day…over 2,300 Americans were killed and the U.S.S Arizona was completely destroyed and the U.S.S Oklahoma capsized. As time passes the number that remember that day becomes less and less.  Memorial Day began shortly after the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. This is one of many that are tagged as such and such day… As I have written there are many others. Right now at this moment I am thinking about The Lord’s Day… and that other day, The Day Of The lord. Now the “The Lord’s Day” is Sunday. The term Lord’s day is used only once in Scripture.

Revelation 1:10

 “ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet”

Now I am not going to go any further with this day thing but I will list another day for your consideration. The Day of The Lord… This takes us on a bit of a different direction. It is also known as a Day of Wrath. The final judgement written of in Revelation.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th, 1941… As I ponder here on the porch I do wonder how much longer this and other days that mark a place in the history of our nation and its people will be remembered. We are the product of our past, we shape or should shape our future from lessons learned and that seems to be fading fast. But I always come back to this… The God I serve is a constant and that is where I place my hope.

jk

 It is the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting, the coming of Christ at the Incarnation. It is the coming into being, in simple terms … it is God coming among us in human form. It is a Christian tradition it has existed within the world wide Christian church for centuries. It is nearly as old as the church itself, with the earliest mentions of the tradition happening as early as 380 AD at the Council of Saragossa*. (*a city in northern Spain, capital of Aragon, situated on the Ebro River)  Advent brings with it a time of preparation, part of that being to understand the four messages it brings with it. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Another important part is preparing our Hearts, Mind and Homes to receive Christ’s birth in the world as it is today. During these weeks ahead we can turn to these family members from the family of God of which we have been adopted into. 

John the Baptist, Isaiah the prophet, and Mary the expectant mother. Each will speak to us about the matters of the heart, their longings and the fulfillment and hope this birth brings to the world. One of the greatest values of the Advent Season is that it is  great for reminding us what the season is really about. An often overlooked fact is about John The Baptist and his importance in the Advent story. How important is The Baptist?  There is a passage that illustrates God’s master plan in action as God selected John to be His special ambassador to proclaim His own coming. Isaiah 40:3-5:

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Matthew also points to these verses. The Baptist preached repentance… preparing the way for Christ’s coming… Matthew 3:5-6- Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Of course there is Mary who will birth the Christ Child.  

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

We cannot pass over other stories of other people who were touched by God in the preparation for this wonderful coming and birth of our Lord. Zechariah and his encounter with the angel Gabriel and the news that God would bless he and Elizabeth with the birth of a son, their only child…we will come to know him as John the Baptist. It is written…Romans 8:28 NIV  28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

There are more but before I close this out…I suggest you read the First Chapter of Luke and make it a point to linger over these verses. 

Zechariah’s Prophecy, vv. 67-80

Mary’s Song of Praise…The Magnificat, vv. 46-55 

Santa won’t be the only one bringing gifts. The greatest gift of all is not under the tree.. Prepare the way…

Life is Good

jk 

Inflation is now a manageable  3.0% according to the talking heads. Second thing, it is cold on the porch. So much so I have had to move the pondering to the back porch of my mind. Really does not mater, I can still clear my mind from here. For your consideration I share an article Daren Bakst, published in June of 2022 in the Washington Examiner. The three per cent figure I quoted is from a more recent article I read elsewhere. I don’t believe the three percent figure is correct. Here is a Quote from Daren’s piece.

“Food prices in May 2022 were a whopping 10.1% higher than prices in May 2021. The size of these food price increases have not been seen in over 40 years and are occurring across food categories , from fresh fruits (8.5%) to fish and seafood (12.2%). Over the past nine months, each month’s year-over-year food price increase has been above 4%, with each successive month higher than the previous — starting at 4.6% in September and reaching 10.1% in May.”

I am pondering what part of our society is most adversely affected my this figure and the others I am about to share with you. The war on energy is taking its toll on food prices. Now add the cost of fuel … gasoline and things only get worse. But we are not through yet. Data tells us that gasoline prices have gone up 109% since Joe and company took over. Mortgage payments and rent are up at least 50%. I am not claiming to be all knowing in this subject but I know a price increase when I pay it. Take for instance…A box of saltine crackers… a $1.09 price , not a name brand, that same box is now $1.99. Who do these increases affect the most? The lower income Americans, those who can least afford the increase in costs of items that are an ordinary every day expenses. I did not document these last figures but I will throw them in anyway. 

Increase in cost per cent wise as of this date:

Food- up 20%

Gas up 25%

Mortgage Payments & Rent up 50% 

It may well be that over-all the 3% holds up but from a closer look at those areas that affect the lower income Americans that 3% figure is insane. The truth is that us ordinary folks are being hit hard where it hurts the most. THE ORDINARY THINGS THAT MEET EVERY DAY NEEDS OF ORDINARY PEOPLE.

jk

I have written many times of the effort that The Pew makes to simply share the gospel and avoid the rhetoric of politics, church and social agendas. There are times that things happen and this becomes difficult but we try. There is no excuse for what has happened in Gaza and for the violence that takes innocent lives to advance an evil goal. There are many same things Between Christians and Jews, the most important is that we believe in the same God… we as Christians have been adopted into the family of God Through the blood of Christ, who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins… For all our differences there are some things that are remarkable. Today’s blog addresses one such thing.

Sukkot is a Jewish harvest holiday, Christians celebrate Thanksgiving. The arrival of Sukkot ushers in the autumn season; Sukkot foods are inspired by the bounty of the harvest. (toriavey.com) 

There is a better than average possibility that our Thanksgiving tradition in many ways could have been indirectly inspired by the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. So here in lies the possibility that “The Difference between the Difference is Relative to the Likeness Thereof”. Without getting to deep the simple facts are. Both the Pilgrims and the Jews were victims of religious persecution. This persecution led to an early Diaspora of certain Jews from Spain in 1492. Some made their way to different parts of Europe and the Middle East. The pilgrims escaped England in 1608 because of the increasing intolerance of their views by the Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York.Then somehow a small group Jews who had settled in Holland were joined by the Pilgrims because of the country’s religious tolerance. The time the pilgrims spent in Holland, about a decade, provided enough time to interact with each other and witness Sukkot celebrations. There are a list of similarities between Thanksgiving and Sukkot.  The first Thanksgiving meal is said to have been eaten out-of-doors, that corresponds to the Sukkot tradition of dining outside in the sukkah. Sukkot and Thanksgiving, are holidays of welcoming; the Pilgrims would welcome Native Americans to the original Thanksgiving table and Jews are encouraged to welcome friends and extended family to dine in the sukkah. Another common factor would be the food of course. Sukkot and Thanksgiving feature bountiful menus of delicious, seasonally-inspired foods.

These few things give us something  to think about…one being that the difference is not all that great between us. I pray that on this day when there are so many differences that keep us separated we can at least come together in truly seeking peace, tolerance and respect for our differences, which oddly enough have a relative nature somewhere in the Difference.

Life is Good

jk

Cold up on the plateau today, could be also that these old bones don’t do cold as well as they used to.Great service at church today and some very special music. I won’t try to put the music of these three wonderful ladies in a box… but I will tell you where their music took me. Over the years Pat and I loved to go to the Smokey Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge which was not all that far from our home in Tennessee at that time and we soon learned our way around the tourist traffic. We learned the back roads and short cuts and saw more of what mattered about these fabulous mountains, minus the lights and hype of those things that were designed to capture the tourist dollars. I must not leave out Cades Cove, a treasure in time gone by but preserved by the Park Service, a winding road through the past that never gets old. There is a saying, I don’t know its origin but it is a good advice for anyone who just wants to savor a part of the past. Take the Road less travelled. Wears Valley Road winds from Pigeon Forge, TN to Townsend, TN. This 15 mile road offers scenic views of the Great Smoky Mountains … The other way is to go through Maryville Tn and take Wares Valley Road as the back door into Pigeon Forge. It has been awhile due to age and health that Pat and I have made the trip, so be sure and check me out on this. From Maryville Tn take 321 into Townsend and I don’t remember a lot but I do remember to Townsend is about 27 miles good road. Now I am sure that things have changed a bit over time… Wares Valley road will turn off this road to the left and if you elect to keep going straight the road will dead end, take a right and your on your way to Cades Cove. You can turn left and go to the Park Visitors Center and you will be just a short drive from Gatlinburg. Back to the singing…and where it took me.

There is an old Church on Wares Valley Road, about halfway up on your right, I think it was a Methodist Church at one time…You know the kind, one of those old white wood plank buildings, with a cemetery behind or beside it. Double doors, four or five windows down each side and an old pot bellied stove in the middle aisle between two rows of wooden pews. I told you before I am eighty years old and because of my age I had the privilege of hearing the old folks recall what to them were the good ole days. Come Sunday the ladies would put on the best dress they had, in the summer time grab a leaf or straw fan, hand made of course and their best bonnet and herd the family to Church or sometimes called Preaching. Now dad was not exempt and would be wearing his best overalls and a clean white shirt over which were a pair of braces. Some of the old folk I talked with told me on special Sundays, like dinner on the grounds, funerals or Weddings, the overalls and shirt were starched. Just a note of interest, dad would do his best to scrape the barnyard off his work shoes. The kids usually went bare foot, even to school if there was one but on Sunday they wore the only pair of shoes they had. Here is another note of interest…If the children didn’t have a pair of shoes they were expected to scrub the feet, even between the toes. Oh that music. If the church had a benefactor of wealth…there would be a simple piano. If not, like in Texas you gotta have a fiddle. There were all kinds if instruments, some home made, but on Sunday they were part of a praise the Lord singing that made you believe in the Bye and Bye. 

“By and by) By and by  (When I reach)  When I reach  (That home)  That home  (Beyond)  Beyond the sky

(Where the)  Wicked will cease from troubling  (And the)  Weary will be at rest  (Every day)  Every day will be SundayBy and by  (2times)  When I reach that city  (oh yes)  City so bright and fair  (oh yes)  Where all my friends and loved ones  (oh yes)  Are gonna welcome me up there  (oh yes)  Put on my long white robe Lay down my heavy load When I reach that city  (oh yes)  City so bright and fair  (oh yes)  Where all my friends and loved ones (oh yes) Are gonna welcome me up there (oh yes)”

It was a time of honest hard work, love of family, land and of course of the Lord, not necessarily in that order. It is the simple things that we remember most, I suppose because they are within our heart and always on our minds. 

jk

The verse I opened with, Genesis 1:27, is  plain and simple truth…for those of us who believe in God it is time we stood by our faith. I have spent many an hour pondering this gender stuff and have arrived at a place that tells me we as Christians are being overwhelmed by the “woke” community.  Every human being has either two X chromosomes, and is therefore biologically female, or an X and a Y chromosome, and is therefore biologically male. It was not until the past decade or so that a distinction between sex and gender came into being…or it might be said fashionable or popularized. It is also fact and a matter of record that popular culture and postmodern psychology have in this day embraced this subject as fertile ground to expand on theories and professional involvement. Popular culture and postmodern psychology, however, do not change the fact that human beings are either XX or XY. No amount of hormone therapy or surgery can change that fact.

Consider this…There are now over 50 gender options, we are overwhelmed by the alphabet people. I will not list them here…thank you. I believe the term is gender dysphoria and is in fashion now. It is time the people of the faith set the record straight. Forgive me as I throw some scripture at you. The Saints of old were not shy about making their position and that of God very plain about this letter thing. Some scriptural thoughts. Deuteronomy 22:5 has a lot to be said about transvestitism…two things of note. It  is an abomination to the LORD your God and is a sin of great proportions when used as a form of deception. Now this next note of scripture is harsh and to the point and when used to judge others is wrong. It is God who will judge and to fall back on another over used term not ours to judge these people. The New Testament is a consistent declaration of the sinfulness of homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9. ) The Bible is consistent in its belief that gender and biological stats are the determining state of gender as created by God. SO…Biblically speaking, human beings are male or female. There is no gender spectrum or continuum even hinted at in the Bible. This as Christians is what we need to do… The bible makes it clear that sin has devastating effects on humanity. We as Christians must recognize that we are called by Christ to repent of sin…to embrace, accept and defend the instructions of our God to His people through the prophets, preachers, apostles and His disciples by the word…the Bible. Simply put…we are not in the business of condemnation but one of restoration. Let God judge while we restore and defend the faith. We must stand on our faith and never accept that what God created can be altered by man.

Life is Good

jk