An Election of Lesser Evils.

I'm certainly delighted that the appalling anti-Christian Harris lost.

 Not exactly bowled over by Trump's victory.

Let's just call it a sigh of relief!

Jews and Gentiles Are One In Jesus the Christ.

What is the main message of Ephesians 3?

Chapter 3 in a Nutshell

In chapter 3, Paul informs the Ephesian Christians: God has revealed to me a great mystery, namely that both Jews and Gentiles are united as one in the body of Christ, and he has called me to proclaim this message.

Let's Hear It For Gafcon.

Justin Welby called to repent over gay sex position.

Susie Leafe  02 November 2024.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.Church of England

Faithful, orthodox Anglicans in the England have once again been encouraged by the courage and clarity of the leaders of the Gafcon movement. In a Reformation Day Statement, the Primates Council of Gafcon rebuked Justin Welby for his comments to Alastair Campbell and called for his personal repentance.

"While he may claim not to have changed the doctrine of marriage, the Archbishop of Canterbury has demonstrably changed the doctrine of sin, by promoting the sanctification of sin by means of a divine blessing," they said in a statement. CT.

Birdie.

 

His Lovingkindness.

His Lovingkindness

Songs of Childhood.

 https://www.christiantoday.com/article/honouring.the.songs.of.my.childhood/142322.htm

Suspension A Good Idea? - Maybe.

 Christians join calls for Pakistan's suspension from Commonwealth.

Christian Daily International-Morning Star News  29 October 2024

(Photo: Getty/iStock)

A coalition of 17 international human rights organizations is demanding Pakistan be suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations due its blasphemy laws and other rights violations, but local activists said that could result in more hardship for religious minorities.

The coalition sent an open letter to the Commonwealth Secretariat ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa Oct. 21-26, signed by groups including Human Rights Without Frontiers, Bitter Winter, the European Association for the Defense of Minorities, the Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion Belief and Conscience, the European Federation for Freedom of Belief and Jubilee Campaign.

It emphasizes how the country's controversial blasphemy laws have been used to falsely accuse and persecute people, leading to widespread violence, extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions. The letter argues that these actions violate the core values of the Commonwealth Charter, which promotes democracy, human rights and equality for all citizens.

The letter highlights Pakistan's failure to reform its blasphemy laws, stating that while no state-sanctioned executions have occurred, vigilante justice and mob violence have become rampant. It cites at least 85 cases of people accused of blasphemy being murdered before their cases could be heard in court, with many of involving public lynchings and mob attacks.

"The Pakistani government's inaction has resulted in the deaths of many innocent people, and its refusal to reform these oppressive laws contradicts the values espoused by the Commonwealth," stated Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers.

The letter stresses that law enforcement officials often turn a blind eye to these crimes, which further emboldens perpetrators of violence. It also recalls Pakistan's previous suspensions from the Commonwealth – first from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2008 – due to issues of governance and human rights abuses.

Stating that the current situation warrants similar decisive action, the signatories called on the Commonwealth to pressure Pakistan into ending its institutional persecution of religious minorities and taking steps to protect citizens from unjust accusations and violence.

"The Commonwealth cannot stand by as one of its member states systematically violates the rights of its people," stated Alessandro Amicarelli, chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief. "Suspending Pakistan is a necessary step to uphold the organization's commitment to human rights."

Despite international condemnation and mounting pressure, the government of Pakistan has resisted calls to amend its blasphemy laws or introduce safeguards to protect religious minorities, it said, adding that the continuation of these laws poses a serious threat not only to religious minorities but to Pakistan's standing as a member of the Commonwealth.

Opposition to Suspension

Human rights and social activists in Pakistan said suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth of Nations was unlikely to curb human rights abuses in the country.

Instead, it could have negative implications for religious minorities, they said.

Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) Chairman Akmal Bhatti said human rights in Pakistan have deteriorated to an alarming level, "but any suspension or sanctions on Pakistan would ultimately hurt the vulnerable communities."

"Pakistan is already facing huge economic challenges, and any international action on behalf of religious minorities that results in economic implications on the country would have negative impact on the people, especially the poor Christian community," Bhatti told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.

Such an action could also affect advocacy efforts in Pakistan, he said.

"Several churches and Christian organizations are already facing problems in receiving foreign funding due to stringent monitoring by the government," Bhatti said. "Suspension of Pakistan on the basis of its human rights record will cause more harm than good to our people."

The international community should pressure Pakistan through dialogue to improve the situation on the ground, he said.

"The government should be pressured to curb false allegations of blasphemy and prosecute perpetrators of mob violence; it should also criminalize forced conversions of minority girls and ensure the protection of its religious minorities," he said.

Samson Salamat, chairman of the Rwadari Tehreek (Movement for Equality), echoed Bhatti's concerns regarding the open letter.

"It is unfortunate and depressing that the state apparatus and the responsible government functionaries in the successive governments have failed to understand the level of threat the blasphemy laws have brought on to the citizens, particularly those belonging to the minority communities," Salamat told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "Everyone in Pakistan is compelled to live a life of fear."

Salamat said that pleas of religious minorities' leadership to the state have fallen on deaf ears.

"Our only hope is pressure exerted by the international community, media, and human rights bodies," he said. "However, we are also apprehensive that this open letter may result in the targeting of active leadership of the religious minorities by the government and state agencies."

Naeem Yousaf Gill, executive director of the Catholic church's human rights advocacy arm, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), said that suspension of Pakistan's membership could not guarantee a halt to the misuse of blasphemy laws and violations of minorities' rights.

"The need is to pressure the government of Pakistan to own its minorities as first-class citizens," Gill said. "It should take strict action against any violation of their rights and should ensure that they are enjoying an equal and better life in Pakistan."

© Christian Daily International

Suspension of Pakistan from Commonwealth of Nations Sought A coalition of 17 international human rights organizations is demanding Pakistan be suspended from the Commonwea...

CT.

The Brothers and Sisters of Jesus.

How much do we know about the brothers and sisters of Jesus?

Neil Rees  19 October 2024.

(Photo: Getty/iStock)

Jesus had brothers and sisters, who are mentioned in the New Testament. But what can we know about them?

Jesus's human family

In the New Testament we read many times about Jesus's brothers and sisters. Some are named and appear in the Early Church. There is no family tree, or a passage explaining it, but if we piece together relevant passages and verses in the Gospels and the Epistles, we can build up a picture of the human family, which Jesus was born into.

Brothers and Sisters in the Gospel Accounts

In one story, it says of Jesus that 'while he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.' This is found in Matthew 12:46-50 and a very similar account in Mark 3:31. Luke adds that 'his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd' (Luke 8:19).

Then in Matthew 13:55-6, people ask 'Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?' A similar passage is given in Mark 6:3 when it says 'Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?' In the Mark version the difference is that Joseph is called Joses, which is a short form of Joseph, and the order of Simon and Judas is switched.

In John we have Jesus staying in Capernaum with his family: 'After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days' (John 2:12).

Joseph

Joseph appears in the story of Jesus's childhood. Luke 2:41 says, 'Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover,' and took Jesus with them. After that Joseph seems to drop out of the story, and it is assumed that he had died. Only Mary is at the crucifixion, but not Joseph, and Jesus asks John to look after Mary (John 19:26-27). For some this suggests that she had no more children to care for her, but it also makes sense if Joseph is not around, and if her other children were busy with their own families living in Galilee at the time. However, it seems that by the time of Pentecost, the Bible says his brothers were back in Jerusalem. It reads 'All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers' (Acts 1:14).

The Brothers

So, we have the names of Jesus's four brothers who are James, Joseph (also called Joses), Judas and Simon. In the lists James is always first, followed by a brother, who is called Joseph in Matthew and Joses in Mark, which are two forms of the same name. People often list brothers and sisters in the order of age, so we can probably assume that James is the eldest brother.

Two of the letters in the New Testament are likely written by brothers of Jesus. The Epistle of James is usually believed to have been written by his brother James. James was a leader of the Church, and Paul called him one of its pillars along with John and Peter. Paul calls James "the Lord's brother" in Galatians 1:19. His brother Jude (short for Judas) wrote the epistle of Jude. In Jude's letter he describes himself as a 'servant of Jesus and the brother of James' (Jude verse 1). If James is the brother of Jesus, then so is Jude. This shows that two of his brothers, at least, were active parts of the Early Church.

We also know that Jesus's brothers were also married because Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians: 'Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?' (1 Corinthians 9:5). If Jesus started his ministry aged about thirty, he could well have been an uncle to nephews and nieces at the time.

The Sisters

The New Testament also says that Jesus had 'sisters'. This word is in the plural. We do not know how many sisters, but because it is in the plural it is at least two, and quite likely more. We do not know their names, but we can imagine that it is likely one was called Mary, because it was common to name a daughter after the mother, and there is a son called Joseph. Mary was also a common name at the time.

Nature of these brothers and sisters

The question arises, and has arisen through the centuries, as to whether these brothers and sisters are the later children of Mary, or if they were the children of Joseph by a previous marriage to an unnamed wife. If they were the children of Mary then they are half-siblings to Jesus and younger than him, and perhaps the oldest were born in Egypt. If they are the children of Joseph by a previous wife, then they are step-siblings to Jesus and older than him. The text just says brothers and sisters and does not say 'half-brothers' nor 'step-brothers'.

In the Old Testament the ten half-brothers of Joseph are all called brothers, so the Bible does not make these distinctions. In English, it is quite common in families that people talk about their siblings as brothers and sisters, regardless of whether they are half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings or foster siblings.

The theological debate comes down to the nature of Mary. Some people do not like to imagine Mary as having had more children, and prefer to imagine the Virgin Mary as having remained in such a state all her life. This has become dogma for people in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

So were these brothers and sisters children of Mary, or children of Joseph to a previous marriage? The New Testament does not say explicitly, but there are clues in the text which help us to look at this.

The Christmas Story

One clue is in the Christmas story at the start of Matthew and Luke, where Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem. There is no mention of other children travelling with them. This is not conclusive since they might have been there and not mentioned, and that could explain how it was hard to find somewhere to stay.

Firstborn Son

Another clue is in Luke 2:22–23, where Jesus is called Mary's 'firstborn son'. For some people that contrasts with Jesus being called God's 'only begotten son' (e.g. in John 3:16), implying he was the only one, whereas firstborn implies more came later. This is not proof that Mary had more children, because the reference to firstborn may be related to the ceremonies required for a firstborn son. The firstborn sons were consecrated to God (Exod. 13:1–2) in a ceremony which Joseph and Mary took part in at the Temple (Luke 2:22–23). This ceremony was for every Jewish woman that had just had her first male child, who at that time would not know whether they should go on to have more children or not. So it does not necessarily imply Mary had more sons, but Luke could have called Jesus Mary's only begotten son and did not. The presence of Joseph at the ceremony may or may not imply it was also his firstborn son.

Mary with children

Another clue is in the fact that we find that during Jesus's ministry, Mary came to find him with his brothers and sisters with her. Luke records that Jesus was 'about thirty years of age' (Luke 3:23) when he began his ministry, so if Mary came with his brothers and sisters that could reasonably imply that she had young children with her. Again it is not conclusive, but if they were older than him, then they would be over thirty years old, and most likely they would have been busy with work, or their own family matters, and not with their mother. The story reads more like a mother with children in tow.

The Davidic Dynasty

Another interesting clue is in the genealogy of Jesus. In his Gospel, Matthew records the ancestry of Joseph down the royal line. The ancestry of Joseph is traced from Abraham to King David and his son King Solomon (Matthew 1:6) and then down through the line of the kings of Judah down to Jechoniah, who was king before the Babylonian exile. Before Jesus was born, Joseph went from Galilee, out of Nazareth, to 'the city of David, which is called Bethlehem', and the reason given was that 'he was of the house and lineage of David' (Luke 2:4). Then in Matthew's account of the Nativity, the Magi came and asked of the whereabouts of the new baby destined to be 'King of the Jews' (Matthew 2:2), which can also be translated as 'King of the Judeans'.

Later in his ministry Jesus is referred to as 'son of David' (Luke 18:38 and 39). In the Bible the words translated 'son of' can also sometimes mean 'descendant of' and 'Son of David' functions rather like the surname Davidson, in that someone with that surname had an ancestor called David, but their father is not necessarily called David. It is acknowledging him as being from the royal line of David.

There are today many countries and regions, which are now constitutionally republics, but were formerly monarchies. Often the royal family still exists, still has loyal supporters, and the lineal successor or heir to the erstwhile throne is called king. There are many examples in Europe.

So, when Pontius Pilate asked Jesus: 'Are you the king of the Jews?' (Luke 2:3), this makes more sense if he realised that he could hold that title without the political function. Jesus could not have been titular king of the Jews unless Joseph had died, and he was recognised as head of the royal house of David. When Jesus was on the cross, a notice was attached which said 'Jesus – King of the Jews' (Matthew 27:37 and John 19:19). Jesus would not have been king of the Jews if he had not been Joseph's oldest surviving son. We know that Jesus had brothers who were alive at the time, which perhaps implies that the eldest of the brothers, Joseph, must have been younger than him.

Difference of Opinion

None of these verses in themselves prove that the brothers and sisters of Jesus were the later children of Joseph and Mary. However, taken together, the most straightforward understanding does seem to strongly suggest it. Nevertheless, the ancient tradition that Mary was ever-virgin and had no more children is deeply held by many Christians from traditional denominations, although rejected by most evangelicals.

The subject of the nature of the brothers and sisters of Jesus is a point of interest and discussion, but not worthy of division. As Paul says, in areas of dispute let each be persuaded in their own mind (Romans 12:5) and not judge each other over this issue (Romans 12:13). The point is that Jesus was born into a human family, and members of that family, namely his mother and at least two brothers, were involved in the Early Church from Pentecost. CT.

Shedding Innocent Blood.

 Proverbs 6. God hates: "shedding innocent blood." 

That is the definition of an abortion. It is the shedding of innocent DNA. I realize in these debates that the focus quickly turns to abortion rights for the sake of incest, rape, and the protection of the life of the mother.

But abortion in America has become a means of birth control. It has become the means of irresponsible reproduction. It has become the means to seemingly eliminate the consequences of irresponsible sexuality and it has come at the cost of the unborn baby and sadly the mental health of the woman getting the abortion. CT.

Birdie.

My Refuge.

Still Think That You've Been Clever, Rachel?

Hospices warn National Insurance tax raid will mean terminally ill take up NHS beds.

Move could mean many hospices having to reduce services as they tackle growing financial pressures

Fiona Parker Senior News Reporter. Janet Eastham Acting Social Affairs Editor

03 November 2024.

Terminally ill people could take up crucial hospital bed space if hospices have to pay increased employer National Insurance contributions, directors have warned.

Under plans set out by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, in the Budget, employer National Insurance contributions will rise by 1.2 percentage points to 15 per cent from April 2025.

Dr Sam Royston, its executive director for research and policy, said: “It’s about the range of palliative care services that an organisation like ours provides. 

Interesting.

If the layout of this Prayer Alert Email looks wrong we recommend that you View this email in your browser Dear All. Blasphemy accused granted bail in Pakistan

Please pray for protection for Christians accused of blasphemy who have been granted bail by the courts in Pakistan.   Despite being released from jail they still face significant danger from extremists and often have to relocate to protect themselves and their families.   Saima Masih, a widow arrested on blasphemy charges, was granted post-arrest bail on September 10, though for security reasons it was not revealed until October, Christian Daily International-Morning Star News (CDI-MSN) has reported.   The bail was granted a month after a Muslim neighbour falsely accused her and her younger sister, Sonia Faryaad, of throwing a sack containing pages of the Koran into an open area near her home in August, said the sisters’ lawyer, Haneef Mattu.   It is understood that the two women and their families have been forced to move to an undisclosed location.   Residents of Kathore village in Punjab province, the sisters were falsely accused of blasphemy by a man who had made ‘indecent advances’ towards Saima, Mattu said.   Saima Masih, a volunteer health worker, has two children. Sonia Bibi, a mother of three and a teacher at an adult literacy centre, managed to escape from the village with her family after the allegations surfaced, Mattu said.   He had filed pre-arrest bail for Sonia Bibi that an additional sessions court rejected, he said. Mattu later filed her bail petition in the Lahore High Court but withdrew it after an initial police investigation cleared her of the alleged offence.   Mattu said that after the court granted post-arrest bail for Saima Masih, he filed a petition in the Lahore High Court to quash the charges against the two sisters.   Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, previously told CDI-MSN that a mob had attempted to kill Saima Masih when news of the blasphemy allegation spread in the area but timely police intervention had saved her life.   Police implicated in Christian’s case   In a separate case a Christian jailed since June on blasphemy and terrorism charges in Pakistan was released on bail on October 23 after a high court noted discrepancies in the police case against him, his lawyer said.   Chand Shamaun, a father of two young children, was arrested on June 23 and charged with insulting Islam under Section 295-A of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. He was accused of inciting religious tensions in Okara, Punjab province, by threatening to desecrate the Koran, said his lawyer, Javed Sahotra.   On October 10 a two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court granted the bail petition.   Noting discrepancies in the police’s First Information Report and investigation report, the court ordered the release of Shamaun on bail of 100,000 rupees (£280), Sahotra said.   ‘Chand is with his family now, but they are not living in their home,’ Sahotra said. ‘They were forced to relocate to a safe house due to security reasons.’   The lawyer added that he had received threats because of his advocacy work for persecuted Christians.   A prominent church leader previously told CDI-MSN that he believed that Shamaun had been falsely implicated in the blasphemy case. ‘The police turned a family dispute into a religious incident when in fact no blasphemy had been committed,’ the Baptist bishop of Sahiwal Abraham Daniel previously said.   Abducted Christian girl returned to parents   A court in Pakistan returned custody of a 16-year-old Christian girl to her parents on October 25 after a Muslim had kidnapped and forcibly converted and married her, sources said.   Diya Iftikhar was abducted from her home in Jaranwala in the Faisalabad district of Punjab province on September 12, according to her parents. The judge in Jaranwala, Azhar Iqbal Ranjha, however, granted the petition for recovery of custody filed by the girl’s mother, Shahida Iftikhar.   (Source: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News)     PRAYER  Pray for safety and justice for Sonia and Saima Thank God for the release on bail of Chand Shamaun. Pray for justice and for safety for him and his family Thank God for the return of Diya. Pray that other girls in Pakistan who have been abducted and forcibly married and converted would be able to return home Pray that the courts and the police would uphold the rule of law in Pakistan and that God would protect those who defend the unjustly accused.

Billy Graham Library.

 https://www.christianpost.com/news/jd-vance-visits-billy-graham-library-extols-gospel.html

Our Ever-Present Help In Trouble.

What Has Happened To Our Nation?

 

Carl Court/Getty Images

Breitbart. KURT ZINDULKA

22 Sep 2024

Hospitals in London are prioritising patients who don’t speak English for care while sending native or fluent speakers to the back of the queue, a report has found.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which has five hospitals in north-west London under its remit, has begun to push patients who require a language translator to the front of the line.

The policy is supposedly intended to cut costs for interpreters by reducing the number of hours worked. However, this results in English speakers being deliberately passed over.

The policy even reportedly applies in clinics that have a ticketing system for determining the order of patients seen.

One patient told the MoS: “It’s a clinic, so you go in expecting to wait a while, but when someone behind me in the queue was let into see the doctor before me I asked the receptionist why and was told that the people with interpreters are prioritised because they can’t wait for more than an hour.”

London, which has become a minority English city, has the largest proportion of migrants of any region of the UK, with more than 40 per cent of its residents being foreigners.

It is currently unclear if the policy of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is being adopted by hospitals in other areas of the country.

However, the decision to prioritise non-English speakers by a branch of the state-run healthcare system was criticised by former immigration minister and Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick.

“Brits are already waiting too long for treatment. The last thing they should be subjected to is the indignity of being pushed to the back of the queue,” Jenrick said.

“This is yet more evidence of the pressure mass migration places on our public services and the difficulties integrating such unprecedented numbers… Non-English speakers shouldn’t be given a queue pass.”

Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are committed to responding to the specific needs raised by any of our patients – and every patient has the right to a professional interpreter.”

God and Sex.

‘God is for sex’: Pastor tackles harms of sexual revolution, reflects on Christ’s words at Lausanne 4.

By Melissa Barnhart, Managing Editor Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

The Rev. Canon Vaughan Roberts addresses the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept. 23, 2024. | The Christian Post/Hudson Tsuei

INCHEON, South Korea — “God is for sex.” That was the clear message from the Rev. Canon Vaughan Roberts, rector of St. Ebbe's Church in Oxford, England, who advised Christians globally on how to respond to the myriad harms caused by the sexual revolution and distortion of God’s created order. 

The sexual revolution that began as a countercultural movement in the 1960s isn't so anymore and is now “absolutely mainstream,” Roberts said.

Over the decades, the false promises of human flourishing pushed by those promoting the sexual revolution have led to the “almost complete collapse of family life in our culture and devastating effects on families, especially the most vulnerable: children,” he lamented.

Instead of thinking about what classes they’ll be taking, as Roberts said he was doing as a young student, children are being asked to choose their pronouns, what sex they want to identify as, and their sexuality. This has only intensified their feelings of “isolation” and “confusion,” said Roberts, who described today's youth as the “anxious generation.”

The sexual revolution, Roberts said, has taught generations to give into their feelings and fleshly desires and that “any external forces must be resisted — whether it's from traditional morality, religion, or even biology itself.”

How should Christians respond?

Roberts says the process is a simple one that requires adherence to the scriptures with added humility and compassion in such a way that churchgoers can be honest about their struggles without fearing they'll be shunned.  

“We must turn to God's never-changing Word and not just to a few proof texts, but to its main overarching themes: Creation, fall and redemption,” Roberts told the thousands of delegates gathered at Songdo Convensia international convention center for the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization on Monday.

“You can summarize God's design for sex and marriage in some very basic statements. God is for sex,” he declared, emphasizing that “sex is for marriage” as outlined in Genesis 2:24. “And in God's design, sexual union is designed to express, seal and strengthen the one-flesh union” between a husband and wife.  

Roberts stressed that God’s instructions for human sexuality are not the way they are because He’s “a spoilsport, wanting to spoil our fun.” Instead, they are provided “for our good, that we might flourish individually, as families and as societies.”

But instead of adhering to God’s Word, some churches have capitulated to the many iterations of the sexual revolution. Declaring themselves as inclusive congregations, they drape the exterior and interior of their churches with LGBT and progress pride flags in the worship of inclusivity.

Such churches lack “theological integrity,” Roberts said, posing the question of what good can come from a church that merely repeats the same views of the non-Christian world and doing so in such a way that church leaders read into the Bible teachings that are not there.

“[T]hat kind of adaptation is missionally ineffective,” he added, noting that is also why revisionist churches are in “terminal decline.”

‘Churches need not be silent’

“We churches desperately need not to be silent. We've got good news to share,” Roberts rejoiced, highlighting that “the Christ who said come as you are did not say, ‘stay as you are.’”

While revisionist churches are seen as capitulating to the whims of the culture and disabusing the scriptures for the sake of worldly “inclusion,” some conservative churches are also not appropriately responding to members of their flock who are struggling with such issues as spousal abuse, same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria or even pastoral sexual abuse.

Roberts noted that although “revisionists keep quiet about repentance,” conservatives tend to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction and are “strong on repentance and holiness, but too often we focus on moral rules rather than the wonderful relationship which Christ came to offer to us.”

Addressing the issue of sexual sin, there isn’t one group that is more righteous than any other, he added, because all are guilty. And acknowledging that should influence how one responds to others.

As an illustration, Roberts said on any given Sunday at church, one might be seated next to a Christian struggling with same-sex attraction yet living daily to follow Christ either in their singleness or in marriage. “Brothers and sisters … does the tone and manner in which you speak invite them to be honest and open? Or does it force them into a secret, lonely isolation, which will only be an incubator of shame and sin?” Roberts asked.

“Too many feel unable to be open and honest about the struggles they feel for fear that they'll be dismissed and rejected” by their church family, he added.

In full transparency, Roberts said he, too, struggles with same-sex attraction that first manifested in his early teens. Despite wrestling with these feelings, he makes the decision daily to follow Christ. Being same-sex attracted is not part of his identity, but it is an “ongoing part of my reality,” he said.               

Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 5, Roberts said sin “has corrupted every part of life, including our sexuality … and that should lead to humility.”  

1 Corinthians 5 - ESV- Bible Portal 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even a...

In that chapter, “Paul says we are not to judge the world in matters of sexual morality. Leave that to God,” he continued. “We're not, first and foremost, to issue a wagging finger to the world. Jesus was the friend of sinners. … That same chapter makes it very clear the Church should exercise discipline against unrepented sin.”

Another misapprehension Roberts sought to address is that of singleness, which he said is “viewed by so much of the Christian world as a problem to be solved.”

“Have they never read Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19 or Paul in 1 Corinthians 7? Single people are not single. If they're in Christ, they're related to Him. And we have a precious gift which enables special opportunities to serve Him and grow in delight and dependence on Him,” said Roberts, stressing that “there should be no isolated people in the Church of God, and yet too often there are.”

Matthew 19 - ESV- Bible Portal 1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond...

1 Corinthians 7 - ESV- Bible Portal 1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a w...

Christ revolution

What Christians have to offer the world is not only Christian morality but the truth of the Bible, Roberts explained.

As people struggle with sexual brokenness and even the challenges of navigating difficult seasons in marriage, the way to respond to all manner of problems rooted in the sexual revolution is to “respond with Christ,” he maintained.

“Don't just preach morality. Certainly, don't just preach condemnation. Preach and live Christ for the glory of His name,” he added. “[In] His teaching, He affirmed God's creation order and His example. He showed amazing love to sinners and then the relationship with Him, which we can enjoy in this present life by the Holy Spirit.”

Describing it as Christ’s revolution, Roberts said it’s the “greatest revolution the world has ever known, far greater than the sexual revolution. … And that is the perspective from which we need to look at this revolution going on in the world.”

The knowledge that God created sex for marriage and that one is to live one's life for Christ, Roberts said, is what transformed him.

“That conviction changed my life," he said. "It wasn't that I was suddenly gripped and excited by Christian morality. I was gripped and excited by Christ. I loved Him, and loving Him, I wanted to live for Him.” CP.