Foundations

Our church has a congregational prayer time at the beginning of each service. Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, while ever-growing, is still intimate enough to support such a valuable time of coming before the Lord.

Our pastor wanted us to be mindful of how our government is continuing to cut away at general morality and essentially, our freedom. He mentioned SB 777, which allows California public school children to decide which gender they want to be, no matter what their anatomy dictates. Chad also briefly told us how Canadian Christians are being jailed for speaking out against homosexuality. He told us to wake up- Canada physically borders our great liberal country. It will not be too long before the same thing is happening here. Lastly, he shared how Roman Catholics and Protestant Christians are banned from adopting in Maryland because they do not accept the homosexual lifestyle- but homosexual couples have full rights to state adoptions. Our California allows gay adoption as well.

I used to have many gay friends. I don't hate gay people. My life changed, the Lord reigned me in from a sinful and destructive lifestyle, and He provided a while new set of friends who edify me. I still feel tenderness for my gay friends. I can just see the truth now, that sin is sin, no matter what kind of sin it is. If God forbids it, is is sin. When I gossip, I am as offensive to Him as someone who routinely practices homosexuality. It is not a matter of "your sin is worse than my sin". All sin is offensive to a holy and righteous God.

Tangent. Sorry. What is that Gulliver's Travels picture doing up there? It is not my analogy, but that of my pastor, Chad Vegas. He is distressed, and rightly so: One day, he says, we Christians will "wake up" from apathy and realize that while we were sleeping (not voting, not educating ourselves, not caring), laws and bills and committees and atheists and lobbyists will have completely tied us down. We will lose our right to free speech and free assembly. We will not be legally allowed to speak the name of Christ or speak out against sin. It is already beginning. We are all expected to be tolerant of everything and anything, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

So do your part. Head over here regularly to check out how Christians are being affected by Californian and national legislature. Vote. Research.

And pray.