Did God create sin?

I've heard people say that if sin exist and God created everything, then God must have created sin. No. Sin is not something that was created, sin is something that is committed. Sin is committed when a person violates God's law. 

Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NO CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!

We are having more and more discussions regarding gay marriage and gay rights. Now that the United States of America's Presidential election is underway, we are going to be shoved with this topic. 


Today, I want to point out a response that someone posted regarding attending a gay wedding and to also give you my take on the comment. The only reason that I am sharing this is because there are a lot of Christians who may have relatives and even friends, who are gay and may feel that they are doing the right thing by supporting them in this lifestyle. Here's their response...

***I am a follower of Christ. I also have dear relatives and friends who embrace the homosexual lifestyle. I do not feel it is my place to withhold love as well as grace from others. Being in the world and not of the world I would gladly attend a wedding of my gay relatives and friends. I would bless and not curse them. All the while I pray for the release of all who are not fully reconciled to God through Christ. That includes the prayer of intercession for those who sit in judgment of flesh and blood rather than discernment of powers and principalities. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with powers and principalities with rulers of darkness in this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. There is a distinct difference between celebrating a person through loving support and celebrating their choice. Speak the truth in love does not mean isolating ourselves from the sick and the lost. Isn't that who Jesus expressly purposed to reach? He had quite a few choice words for those puffed up with a spirit of religiosity.***

To tell you the truth, this breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because she really believes that she is doing the right thing. I do not see someone who is just wanting to be straight rebellious, but is trying to find a happy medium in all this (there's no such thing by the way). She is even trying to help us by saying she will pray for those who sit in judgment of the flesh and blood rather than discernment of powers and principalities. The funny thing is...didn't she just say that they embrace the homosexual lifestyle? Why didn't she say her DEAR relatives and friends whom are being influenced by devils? Wouldn't that support her "argument"? She says there's a difference between celebrating a person through loving support and celebrating their choice. What is she celebrating? The fact that the powers and principalities have taken over her relatives? Is that cause for a celebrations??? She says...Speak the truth in love does not mean isolating ourselves from the sick and the lost.  

If she was speaking the truth, she would truthfully tell them that... it is written that only those who follow the will of the Father are my true mother, brothers and sisters. Matthew 12:48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”    And, because you have EMBRACED the homosexual lifestyle, I can not support, in any way, the things that are contrary to the will of the Father. That's the truth and she would be showing true love by telling the truth. I told one minister that we can love them to hell if we think that participating in any gay activity is showing them love. 

She says that...love does not mean isolating ourselves from them (sick and lost). So once again she is contradicting herself by saying we should support by participating in our relatives "sickness" and "lostness" (that's right, I made up that word).  It is clear that she was writing a lot of things that she has no understanding of. And, she is hoping that we do not catch on to the fact that she does not understand. And, if the family, who's in sin, truly love us/her, then they should respect our position in how we feel. They should understand that even though we are not going to their wedding,  we love them anyway. If they can't respect our decision, then they don't really love us, right? If we can still love them, they should still be able to love us. For those who don't get that, I will let that one marinate.

Now, of course, we are to minister to our family. And, even if your parents are not saved, it is commanded that we are to honor our mother and our father. There are no rules as to..."only if your parents are doing the will of the Father." Honor means to respect their authority and their position in our lives. God gave us our parents and that we had absolutely nothing to do with picking our parents. Naturally that is. Everyone has a natural mother and father. So that command still stands. Does that mean that if my mother one day say that she is gay and getting married that I should attend that wedding? Absolutely not. I can honor my mother without participating in something that is against the Father's will. As far as the rest of my family goes, I can love them without participating in their evil and that goes for anyone. 

What seems to be the problem with most Christians is...how do we love our neighbors as ourselves if our neighbor is gay? The answer is actually easy if you know the will of the Father. If I were doing something evil and I was unsaved, knowing what I know now, how would I want someone to treat me? I would want them to tell me the truth and that is, I am going to hell if I do not repent. I want them to be totally honest with me because if they truly love me, they wouldn't want me to go to hell. And, if I refuse to repent, knowing what I know now, I would want them to leave me alone (with trying to change me) because we will never agree. (because I know that they will not stop {walking in the Spirit}, if I am caught up in my sin). I want them to do no physical harm to me, and, knowing what I know now, the best way for them to love me is to continue to pray for me, whether I want them to or not. Now, as far as her comment on ... I do not feel it is my place to withhold love as well as grace from others.... Again, it is clear that she doesn't understand what she is saying. How can two walk unless they agree? 

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Paul reiterates : 

2 CORINTHIANS 6: 14 Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness? 15 Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? 16 Can God’s temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said,

“I will live and walk among them.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”
17 The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers.
    Separate yourselves from them.
        Have nothing to do with anything unclean.[c]
            Then I will welcome you.”
18 The Lord Almighty says, “I will be your Father,

    and you will be my sons and daughters.”GWT

The last thing that I want to say about all this is, there are Christians, right now, who are losing their lives, literally, for follow Christ. There is real persecution that is going towards the Christians who will not bow down to other gods and who will choose to follow Christ. I find it utterly disgusting and appalling that we Christians, in American, want to be wimpy when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. If you can't stand with Christ here, then how can you...

My prayer for anyone who feel that it is okay to participate in a gay activity. Listen, we all have to make a choice. You can't be a true follower of Christ if something like choosing to participate in a gay wedding, because your blood relatives happens to be gay, is what you are willing to do instead of obeying Christ. It is not a part time assignment, but we are forever bond to God. If you are serious about wanting to follow Christ, please get under a true minister so that you can get the right instructions. I know that it has to be hard, but I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes so that you may understand and I pray that you will have the willing spirit to only have the desires to do the will of God....no matter what.

That's all.

I love you all, God Bless you

Angela R. Grant.

Plotting your FUTURE salvation?

It is amazing that there are folks who are literally planning out their FUTURE salvation..."I will live it up now, and when I am ready, or when I am about to die, I will stop the sinning lifestyle and give my life over to Christ"...Oh if only they knew and understood the attributes of God. God knows the wicked hearts very well. He is listening to the excuses being made. He is listening to the plot. He has acknowledged every thought out plan and He has already judged you. Oh if only you understood the grave danger of thinking you can trick God into accepting you after you have finished your evil deeds. You haven't learned that only God has the power to change a wicked heart, not you. You think there's a formula that works on everyone. God makes His choice, not you. You think you have it all figured out. All I can do is pray for those who are lost or fooled that their eyes maybe opened, today.

Is it wrong to celebrate Easter with eggs and baskets?

Another one of our constant debates....Should Christians celebrate Easter with eggs, bunnies, and baskets?



I've heard both sides... These are real comments that I've seen:

"God knows our heart and everyday is celebrating Christ and if we celebrate Easter in celebration of his resurrection, then we are pleasing God and this is a matter of conscience between the Lord and the servant of God knows the heart and not for another servant to judge. The bible is clear on this."

"I think that (not putting that person's name he was addressing) comment is that to celebrate the high holy day, the day that if it had not happened there would be no Christianity, with pagan Easter bunnies and eggs is an abomination to God. God abhors pagan practices, and ultimately His view takes precedence to ours. Since I learned about this, I have been heartbroken personally that I did it, and it breaks my heart that the emphasis among Christians is Easter rather than Resurrection Sunday. That's my $.02."

Both sides makes sense, but the question is...is there a right way and a wrong way?

Paul talks about things being Permissible vs Profitable like in a case of drinking alcohol, eating certain foods etc, etc.

I Corinthians 10: 23 Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but not everything encourages growth. 24 People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves. 25 Eat anything that is sold in the market without letting your conscience trouble you. 26 Certainly, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything it contains is his.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to his house for dinner, and you wish to go, eat anything he serves you without letting your conscience trouble you. 28 However, if someone says to you, “This was sacrificed to a god,” don’t eat it because of the one who informed you and because of conscience. 29 I’m not talking about your conscience but the other person’s conscience. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I give thanks to God for the food I eat, why am I condemned for that? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.32 Don’t cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God’s church. 33 I try to please everyone in every way. I don’t think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved. GWT

There is also Divine will vs Permissive will like divorce for instance.

Matthew 19:7-9

7 The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?”

8 Jesus answered them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. 9 I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.” GWT

Here is my short take on it.

The Bible tells us that in all that we do, we do for the glory of God. That means, it has to agree with God and or it has to show God in it. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I am unsure if I should do it, I ask myself a few questions

So Christians, ask yourself these questions regarding Easter...

Does adding eggs and bunnies dishonor our Lord? Is this holiday one of our holiest celebrated days? Is adding pagan practice wrong for such a day like this? And lastly, was God specific when it comes to mixing pagan practice?

What is pagan Easter?

Pagan...a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions. Synonyms: heathen, ungodly, irreligious, infidel, idolatrous. 

Pagan Easter...March Equinox. Pagan Anglo-Saxons made offerings of colored eggs to her at the Vernal Equinox. They placed them at graves especially, probably as a charm of rebirth. (Egyptians and Greeks were also known to place eggs at gravesites).  Sounds familiar?

They've even promote their religion by saying which would you choose?

1 Corinthians 1: 18-25

18 The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. 19 Scripture says,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.
I will reject the intelligence of intelligent people.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the persuasive speaker of our time? Hasn’t God turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense? 21 The world with its wisdom was unable to recognize God in terms of his own wisdom. So God decided to use the nonsense of the Good News we speak to save those who believe.22 Jews ask for miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but our message is that Christ was crucified. This offends Jewish people and makes no sense to people who are not Jewish. 24 But to those Jews and Greeks who are called, he is Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. GWT

 What does the Bible say about pagan...NIV Version

Isaiah 2:6 [ The Day of the Lord ] You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

Isaiah 57:8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.

Lamentation 1:10 The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary— those you had forbidden to enter your assembly.

Amos 7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: “‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land."

Sermon on the mount...Jesus warns us...don't do as the pagans.
Matthew 5: 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6: 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6: 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

More scripture.
Matthew 18 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[a] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[b] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[c] loosed in heaven.

Luke 12: 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

1 Corinthians 5: It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.

1Peter 4 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires,but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 

So we have some knowledge of how God feel about pagan based on some of these scriptures. According to the scriptures, God wants us to refrain from any and all practices of pagan, including symbols.

God commands us to love Him with all of our heart, soul and might. To love God is to obey Him. With the scripture given to us, we don't have to argue whether it is right or wrong. This is not a matter of "God knows my heart", but rather a matter of obedience. 

God was specific in that we must not do what the pagans do and if we do, he will treat us based on how we behave. We will be treated like godless people. So the question we should ask ourselves is...If God hates it so, than how can we Christians participate in something that God hates, especially on a day like this? 

I hope that this has helped you if you had a burning conviction on how you should handle the issue of bunnies, Easter eggs, and so on. 

I want to make an important note that I do not shame Christians who choose to add bunnies, and baskets. We all have probably done it and in time took it out or after much prayer and consideration, decided to keep it in. You will not go to hell if you give your kids a basket and I know that as Christians, you will teach your children the true meaning of this day... the day we celebrate Christ resurrection. I wanted to make this post because I feel that having more knowledge may help if you have been feeling convictions or just had questions about it. Ultimately, you have to decide on how you are going to honor God tomorrow. 

God bless you all,

Angela R. Grant.