More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… Some of you have lost your way. You think you need to defend me, and defend God’s word — draw lines around it, debate people about it. You don’t. Just follow me, rest in me, trust God. I didn’t ask you to manage the world, or decide who’s in and who’s out, based on your understanding. I didn’t ask you to start a religion in my name.... Read more
When you talk to a non-affirming Christian, do you ever wonder why they seem so passionate about the gay “issue” – why it seems to mean so much to them? Most don’t have a family member who is LGBTQ, they ignore other “sins” – so what is the big deal? The answer is that they are afraid. Terrified to be precise. Of what, gays? Nope. They are afraid of change. But why?? One of my readers wonders the same thing,... Read more
Where did that phrase come from? The Bible? Nope. Jesus? Nope. But many Christians sure do spout it like it is God-inspired scripture – especially concerning the LGBTQ issue. Usually to justify judgment, condemnation and rejection of gays… in Jesus name. So here we are, a cultural crisis, a church crisis, a family crisis. Marriage equality gains support, churches empty, and churchgoers wonder where it will all end. There is much truth to find, and personal experience to move our... Read more
Another lawsuit lost by a florist who refused to sell flowers for a gay wedding. Baronelle Stutzman faces more than she probably anticipated when she said no. According to the article in Think Progress, this is one in a series of such losses. “The decision follows a near-identical ruling in Oregon last month against a bakery that refused a cake to a same-sex couples. The string of losses in similar cases follows back to an Iowa wedding venue, a Vermont... Read more
More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… Hey there, it’s me. I know, we may not have talked in a long time. I think you have some idea that I’m mad at you, or disappointed in you, or someone has told you that you’ve let me down. Not true. I couldn’t be happier with you. I couldn’t possibly love you more than I do. I delight in you. No kidding. I’d love to... Read more
Are Christians ready to step outside of their box? Are they willing to take the “red pill?” Fortunately, many have and are coming to know the truth and the heart of God and the teachings of Jesus. Unfortunately, way too many have decided to take the “blue pill,” climb back into the box, seal it tight, and just ignore this whole “love your neighbor” thing as it applies to the LGBTQ community. When we talk to some of them, their... Read more
My friend, you are a lovely soul. You pour out the love of Jesus to strangers and those in pain. The sweet aroma of God is around you, and it inspires hope to the hopeless. But your attitude about and repulsion for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people does not suit you. It doesn’t fit the compassion you otherwise exude – compassion that comes from the pit of pain and despair. You helped teach me not to judge others, saying,... Read more
“Well I don’t know if she’s really a Christian. She says she is, but I don’t see any evidence.” Has anyone said that to you (or someone you love) because you are gay, or because of your LGBTQ stand? …or anything else in your life? That kind of assessment is completely out-of-bounds. One man put it this way: “He is a glutton and drunkard – look at the people he hangs out with.” Of course, that man is a religious leader talking... Read more
More today from my Saturday “Jesus Blog” – a word from Jesus to you… It gets complicated when you “disciple” one another and when you want to “hold each other accountable.” And it gets dangerous. Why? Because I think people have it all wrong. And because people are supposed to follow God, not each other. I have heard people quote the book of Matthew and say that “in discipleship we are helping one another learn to ‘obey all that I... Read more
You’ve heard the phrases… confronting people in their sin, tough love, speaking the truth in love, helping people live right. Call it what you will, but it’s really spiritual bullying. It’s not our job and it is doing more damage than you can possibly imagine. Broken families, homelessness, drug abuse, even suicide. For the bullies, it has been conveyed as the “godly” thing to do. Loving people so deeply and so purely that they just can’t let them “continue in... Read more
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